


Finding Rakuzan's Core

by the_crazyones



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Sports
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-24
Updated: 2015-01-09
Packaged: 2018-01-16 21:50:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 108,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1362961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_crazyones/pseuds/the_crazyones
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After coaching Seirin through the Interhigh in her first year, Riko was headhunted by Rakuzan scouts into transferring there. At Rakuzan, she finds a place where she can make a difference. AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meetings and Encounters

**Author's Note:**

> So, I was just thinking that Rakuzan's coach seemed inconsequential. And then I wondered what would happen if Riko fell into the mix. The idea just arrested me and couldn't leave me alone. And so...voila.

"So then, Masamune Date became an incredibly fearsome warrior, despite his lack of sight in his right eye, and his helmet became legendary throughout Yamagata, maybe even the whole of Japan!"  
  
Hyuuga was saying enthusiastically as he walked Riko home. They had just finished visiting Kiyoshi at the hospital, and a warm orange light was casting down on them as the sun set, and they drew nearer to her house. Despite what she knew of Kiyoshi's condition, Riko was feeling optimistic about Seirin's chances in the next Interhigh.  
  
It was something about the way Hyuuga said it. The promise. Full of certainty and resolve. That was what she had always admired about him. That was what made him such a good captain.  
  
"Yes, yes,  _fascinating,_ Hyuuga-kun," Riko replied sarcastically. "So, did he kill even  _more_ bad guys after getting his fancy helmet?"  
  
Oblivious to her sarcasm, Hyuuga happily continued, "Yes, he did! He slaughtered a whole bunch of them at a river..." He trailed off as he suddenly took notice of a huge black sedan in front of her house, where they were both just a few metres away.  
  
"Hyuuga-kun?" Riko said, and then she noticed the sedan too. Two men in black suits were talking to her father.  
  
As Riko and Hyuuga walked towards the group, the men looked up to greet her. One of them smiled at her. It was a courteous upturn of his lips, that belied no emotion. Riko didn't like it.  
  
"Ah, Riko-san, is it alright if we have a word with you?"  
  
____  
  
The men just didn't stop talking.  
  
Riko was sitting opposite the two men, and next to her was Hyuuga. Her father was sitting a little ways behind both of them. Despite his loud objections, Riko had insisted that Hyuuga stayed to hear the conversation too, even if it was important. She trusted her gut feeling, which somehow warned her that she needed Hyuuga with her for this.  
  
They were saying such fake, professional-sounding things. "We would be honoured...", "Your athletic sense is unparalleled...", "As expected of Aida Kagetora's daughter..." All such insincere phrases designed to win her over. Riko felt herself frown more as the men droned on. She felt like grabbing Hyuuga's hand and gripping it for comfort.  
  
"To conclude, we were just incredibly impressed with your coaching during the Interhigh. And so, we would be truly honoured if you could please consider transferring to Rakuzan on our scholarship. We understand that you are currently a basketball coach, and Rakuzan already has the esteemed Shirogane Eiji-san, of course," here, Riko noticed her father flinch at the mention of his old teammate, out of the corner of her eye, "but we truly believe that your talents and assets will be of great use to our great variety of other sports."  
  
Riko sighed. She had already made her decision the moment the word 'Rakuzan' left their lips, and felt irritated that she had had to sit through that whole blather when she was already so steadfast in her decision. She took a breath to state a blunt refusal, when Hyuuga suddenly cut across her.  
  
"She will consider this offer and revert tomorrow latest."  
  
Riko blinked hard in her shock. She turned towards Hyuuga, who was looking at the men with unwavering determination in his eyes, and a hard set to his jaw, the same look she always saw him with on the basketball court.  
  
"Hyuuga-kun!" Riko angrily exclaimed. But before she could continue, her father had stood up and started gesturing to the men to leave.  
  
"We will let you know her decision tomorrow," he said as he politely ushered them out. Riko noticed that he was avoiding her eyes as she threw him a look of betrayal.  
  
As the men and her father left, Riko immediately turned on Hyuuga.  
  
" _What,_ just  _what_  was that, Hyuuga-kun!" Her hands fisted in anger. "There's no way I'm transferring to Rakuzan! I'm at Seirin! I'm Seirin's coach!"  
  
Hyuuga, like her father, was avoiding her eyes. "Riko, this is an opportunity you can't refuse. It's  _Rakuzan._ As a coach, there's no better place to be."  
  
Riko's eyes widened. She grabbed Hyuuga's shirt to force him to look at her. "Hyuuga-kun. That's ridiculous. I'm staying at Seirin. To help fulfil your promise to Teppei. All of us together." Of course she was going to stay. She was going to be with Mitobe, Koganei, Tsuchida, Izuki, Kiyoshi. And...Hyuuga.  
  
But when he finally turned to look at her, Riko released his shirt slowly. She felt like she was fighting a losing battle.  
  
Because while his eyes were filled with regret and a deep sadness, they also revealed an unflinching resoluteness.  
  
"He's right."  
  
Riko turned to see her father leaning at the doorway. For once, he was agreeing with Hyuuga. She wished it wasn't for this heartbreaking thing.  
  
"I'm proud of you for wanting to keep your promise to your friends, but...Riko." Her father took a deep breath. "This is also about your future. You owe it to your friends to take this opportunity."

At his words, Riko immediately felt a wave of uncertainty, and conflict arose within her. He was right _._ She knewit, deep within her heart. What he was saying made so much sense. Within her, she felt a burning desire to go to Rakuzan, to experience Rakuzan. It was an opportunity only a fool would refuse.

But she _belonged_ in Seirin. Going to Rakuzan would feel like a betrayal. To the promise she held towards Kiyoshi, to all the training plans she had already constructed for next year's Interhigh.

And the fact that Hyuuga was encouraging her to go made the conflict even worse. Because she knew how difficult it must be for him. Just as difficult it was for her to choose to go. 

She wantedto go. So much. But she also didn'twant to go.

Hyuuga put a hand on her shoulder. Riko felt heartbroken, because his touch had always represented comfort and strength to her. Now though, it felt foreign, and cold.  
  
"You should take the offer, Riko. Everyone at Seirin would want you to."

Riko swallowed, her fingers twitching on her lap. Itching to go to his hand on her shoulder.

She would go. It would satisfy that desire she held deep within her. But even more than that, she would go for her friends, who would never have this opportunity dangling in front of her now.  
  
Riko felt like she was falling into a deep, dark pit, with no end in sight.

____  
  
When Riko arrived at the Kyoto station a day before the school term started, she was bombarded with confusion. She had only been to Kyoto once before on a school trip, and she had been chaperoned that whole time. But this was okay...Riko sighed. Confusion was the only emotion she had been feeling constantly nowadays.  
  
She shouldered her bags and searched for an information counter. It would be much easier just to ask a station staff for directions, rather than stumbling around on her own.  
  
It took nearly an hour for the bus to even arrive at the stop where Rakuzan High was at. And when she arrived at the bus stop, all she could see was a complex of large buildings and a wide expanse of greenery. Nothing remotely like a school in sight.  
  
Sighing again, and frowning in irritation, Riko decided to just walk somewhere between the complex of buildings and the fields. Hopefully she would bump into someone who could lead her in the right direction. And so, quashing thoughts about Hyuuga and his immaculate sense of direction, she steadfastly walked towards the impossibly large buildings.  
  
After nearly an hour of walking around, Riko was ready to scream in frustration. There was _no one_ in sight. How could there be no one? There were so many large buildings here! What was filled in them,  _cockroaches_? Stomping the ground in frustration, she threw her heavy bags on the ground, and scrambled to search for one of the Rakuzan official documents in her bag. Maybe there was a number she could call. But before she went into full-on cursing mode, she was suddenly called by someone.  
  
"Hey~!"  
  
Looking up in surprise, she saw two tall boys. One of them had longish black hair while the other had orange hair. The shorter, orange-haired boy appeared to be grumbling at the taller boy, his hands shoved sulkily in his pockets.  
  
Riko looked at them with a smile. "Hello! I'm so glad to see you!" She exhaled with relief. "I've just been so lost here!"  
  
The taller boy chuckled good-humouredly. "Yes, we know~...We saw you walking around from the window over there." He gestured at one of the large buildings, which looked just as swanky as the others (Riko thought irritatedly).  
  
"Yeah. Reo-nee just  _insisted_ that we come help you. Even though we were in the midst of a video game and I was totally kicking his ass," the orange-haired boy grumbled. Riko felt her eyebrow twitch in irritation. What was  _with_ this boy?  
  
"Now, now, Kotarou-chan, we have to be nice to girls~," the boy called Reo-nee said good-naturedly. He turned to smile at Riko. "So, can we help you with anything?"  
  
Riko decided to talk to this boy, who seemed more matured than the orange-haired brat. "Yes please, thank you very much! I'm looking for Rakuzan High?"  
  
At her question, the boy called Kotarou suddenly dissolved into laughter, and even started to hold his stomach in his mirth. Riko gritted her teeth irritatedly, feeling her fingers tighten on her bag strap. Just  _what_ was so funny about what she said?  
  
The taller boy looked slightly annoyed, and whacked the other boy lightly on the back of his head. Ignoring the other boy's whined "ow!", he smiled at Riko, and said, "You're actually in Rakuzan now! This whole place is Rakuzan." He ended the sentence with a wink.  
  
At these words, Riko gaped at him for a full minute. "Th-this whole place? All that large fields...and, and, these  _impossibly_ large buildings, which are just...there are so many..." she stammered with wide eyes. Just how extravagantly wealthy was this school? Seirin didn't even have its own football field.  
  
And then, she blinked, and quickly straightened up her expression. She  _really_ didn't want to be impressed with Rakuzan. Seirin was just better! "Uh...it's okay, I guess..." she trailed off, with a nonchalant shrug.  
  
The black-haired boy laughed lightly. “So I suppose you’re a new student here?” He glanced at her bags and moved forwards to help her pick some up. “From the look of your bags, I guess you stay at the dorms. Do you want us to show you where the female ones are? We’re both on basketball scholarship so we stay at dorms too. That’s why we’re here a day early.”   
  
Basketball scholarship, huh? As Riko handed off her bags to the black-haired boy gratefully, she thought that these boys probably dominated the competition during that heart-breaking summer. 

Outwardly, she smiled and said, “Thank you, I would really appreciate that. Yeah, I’m a scholarship student too.” She watched as the black-haired boy shoved a few of her bags into the other boy’s arms. He scowled as he took them. “I just transferred this year. So I’m actually a second-year student.”   
  
“Second year?” Reo-nee looked too happy for that mundane statement. “We’re second years too! I’m Mibuchi Reo, and this guy here’s Hayama Kotarou-chan.” He ruffled Hayama’s hair, smiling excitedly all the while.  
  
“Nice to meet you. I’m Riko,” Riko replied curtly.  
  
“Riko-chan? That’s such a cute name!” Mibuchi gushed excitedly.   
  
Hayama, meanwhile, was bad-temperedly shouldering her bags, as he said, “You said you’re a scholarship student?” He snorted a little. “What kinda sport do you play?” He scrutinised her with narrowed eyes, as he continued, “You don’t seem like an athlete at all. You look so…”  
  
But before he could continue, Riko cut him off before she was thrown out of Rakuzan High for assault before she even attended her first class.  
  
“I’m not here on an athletic scholarship, no.” She turned away from him to stalk ahead of them first. “I’m here to coach.”  
  
___  
  
By the time they reached the female dormitory building, she was glad to be rid of the boys. Mibuchi was okay, he was really nice and she was sure she could get along well with him. Hayama, on the other hand…she felt like her bag handle was about to snap from how hard she was gripping it in suppressed irritation.   
  
He had kept commenting and asking her questions non-stop throughout their journey to the dorms. No, she still didn’t know what sport she was going to coach. No, she wasn’t new at coaching. Yes, she can coach. Yes, she can really coach. It drove her madder than Koganei’s ridiculous comments ever did.  
  
When she got out of the warm, comforting shower she took in order to erase Hayama from her mind (the shower was irritatingly perfect, as Rakuzan’s facilities always were, apparently), she was greeted with a ring on her mobile phone.  
  
Picking it up, she looked at the caller. It was Hyuuga.  
  
“Hey, Riko,” his voice sounded in her ear. It sounded slightly strained.  
  
She sighed. “Hi, Hyuuga-kun.” She sat down on her bed, still drying her hair with a towel. “What’s up?”  
  
She heard him clear his throat at his end. “Um…I just wanted to see how you were, and…uh, whether you’re okay at Rakuzan.”  
  
“Yeah, everything’s fine,” she replied curtly. She lay down on her bed, despite her wet hair. “How’s everything?”  _How’s Teppei. How are you._  
  
“Good.” She heard him clear his throat again. “I…I saw Kiyoshi at the hospital today.” Here, Riko smiled though her heart ached. Trust Hyuuga to know what she wanted to hear most. “He’s still not cleared for school unfortunately. He’ll probably miss the first term.”  _He’ll probably miss the upcoming Interhigh._ Riko heard his unspoken statement.  
  
“Oh. Well, as long as he gets better. That’s the priority.” Riko turned to lie on her side, her wet hair clumping over her ear.  
  
She heard him breathe for a while on the line. “…yeah,” he said. She closed her eyes, hearing the sounds of him breathing.   
  
“Riko?”  
  
Her eyes flew open. “Yeah?” she said, her voice cracking slightly.  
  
“I…uh…” she heard him release a few loud breaths. “I’ll call you again soon.”  
  
“Yeah.”  _I miss you too._  
  
The line went dead.  
  
____  
  
Riko had allowed herself a short moment of vulnerability that night, just burying her face in her arms and knees for several seconds.   
  
Then, she had raised her head, and frowned in determination. She was going to be just fine. It was Rakuzan, and she was Riko. Rakuzan was no match for her.  
  
And so it was that the next morning, she went to class feeling strong-willed and probably a little too angry, because she noticed a few of her new classmates wince as they looked at her face. What, were Rakuzan people such  _wimps_?  
  
She slammed her bag on her desk, pulled out her chair with a screech, and flung herself into it with perhaps a little too much force. She grabbed her books out of her bag and flung them on her desk. Then, she pulled out her pencil case, and lined up her pencils, a ruler, and an eraser in a perfect straight configuration. She was going to tackle the day as she always did, determined and ready to battle the world.  
  
“The hell? It’s  _you_?”  
  
Riko’s eyes widened as she heard a familiar voice behind her. Oh no. It couldn’t be. She turned around quickly to see, of all the annoying people,  _Hayama_ , the orange-haired brat behind her.   
  
“What are you doing here?” She hissed a little too angrily at him.  
  
He frowned at her tone. “What do you mean? This is my class too.” He leaned back against his chair languidly. “I’ll try to get along with you as a classmate then,  _Coach_ Riko.”  
  
The way he said it made her teeth grind in irritation. It was completely laden with sarcasm and scepticism. Then, as he stretched out his legs, he kicked her chair.  
  
Riko felt something snap inside her. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she turned completely in her chair, and said, “Look, can you  _please_  just…”   
  
“Haah…?” Hayama said irritatingly, as he suddenly leaned in front to get up in her face instead.  
  
Riko sighed. There was no way of communicating with this brat. She stood up to sweep her things into her bag, saying as she did so, “Never mind, Hayama-kun, I’ll just sit somewhere else instead-”  
  
But before she could finish her sentence, he suddenly grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the classroom door facing the hallway.  
  
“Look, look!” He said excitedly as Riko felt herself being pulled unceremoniously to lean out of the door. He was pressing against her side uncomfortably as he shouted against her ear, “Check out  _this_ guy!”  
  
Trying to push him away irritatedly, she turned to see a red-haired boy striding down the hallway. He was suddenly stopped by some girls, who were blushing as they spoke to him. Riko felt a chill rush over her as she saw the way he replied them, all polished, perfect and immaculate. So charismatic. So articulate. She wasn’t sure if she liked it.  
  
“That’s  _Akashi Seijuurou._ ” Hayama was breathing in her ear. “He was the  _captain_ of the Generation of Miracles.” Riko turned to look at Hayama’s face, so close to her own. His eyes were shining with excitement and elation. “ _This_ is the guy I’m so looking forward to playing basketball with.”   
  
As Riko turned away from Hayama to look at Akashi, he suddenly looked up as well as he politely excused himself from the girls. They locked eyes with one another.   
  
In that brief moment, Riko felt an insurmountable and uncompromising pressure against her, just from his one look. And against that pressure, Riko felt the one thing she prized herself with, her immovable, defiant pride, swell within her to counter it. She heard herself give a sharp intake of breath, unconsciously.  
  
It only lasted a second. Akashi had looked away from her to continue his way towards the first years’ corridor.    
  
But in that one second, Riko just  _knew,_ that whether or not there was already a coach, it was basketball that she had to throw herself into, regardless of what happened. 


	2. Persuasion

Strangely enough, when Riko had locked eyes with Akashi, she had been reminded of the time she had said farewell to the Seirin basketball team a few days before her departure to Kyoto. It was paradoxical, because the pressure she felt so strongly merely by looking into his eyes was the complete opposite of all the feelings the Seirin team gave her.  
  
Warmth. Security. Strength. Support.  
  
Unwavering dedication.  
  
Koganei had been blubbering so much she couldn't understand what he was saying. All she knew was that he was shoving some gifts into her hand, mumbling about how she shouldn't forget them in Tokyo. But when she tried to clarify what he was saying, Mitobe had put a strong hand on her shoulder.  
  
And as she looked into his eyes, it was the first time Mitobe had ever translated something for Koganei, rather than the other way round. Because she could understand exactly what he was conveying for both of them, merely through his kind eyes.  
  
Tsuchida had given her a steady hug, and as they drew apart, she pretended not to notice him wiping his eyes. Izuki, meanwhile, had punned, of course, “Here are some  _goods_ from me, to keep you well and  _good_ ,” as he passed her one of his joke books.  
  
She had tried to force a laugh this time, but he merely smiled at her so understandingly, that she stopped. And she accepted his joke book with genuine appreciation.  
  
Kiyoshi had insisted that the hospital cleared him to visit her house at least for that day. And as he enveloped her small frame with a hug, while trying to balance on his crutches, he said only two words which were all she needed from him, when he had already given her so much.  
  
 _Thank you._  
  
Hyuuga hadn’t said anything, or done anything throughout her farewells with everyone. He had merely stood by.  
  
And when it came time for everyone to leave, he delayed and stood by the entrance until everyone had already gone a little ways away from her front door. Then, he looked her directly in the eye.  
  
“I’ll…call you.”  
  
And they both just looked at each other for a moment.  
  
Then, he turned and left without a backward glance. But this was fine with Riko, because the look in his eye had been enough for her.  
  
It was the unflinching resoluteness and strength that she admired so much in him. And that was all she needed as a farewell from him.  
  
It was heart-breaking the way all of them had heartily congratulated and encouraged her to transfer to Rakuzan when she still professed doubt at the decision. But it was also entirely expected of them, to think of her above their needs.  
  
So maybe it wasn’t so strange after all that she was reminded of Seirin as she looked into Akashi’s eyes for that brief second. Maybe it was because of the paradox, that she felt such a strong need to coach him, Akashi Seijuurou, out of anyone she had ever met in her life.  
  
___  
  
To Riko’s great consternation, the delay caused by her and Hayama rushing to take a look at Akashi meant that the recess before homeroom period was over quickly, and Riko was now stuck in front of Hayama for the  _whole year_. To her no great surprise, the boy was both universally popular in the class,  _and_  universally disliked, if that dichotomy was even possible. It seemed as though while his antics amused everyone greatly, they also annoyed everyone.  
  
But on the plus side, she found out that Shirogane Eiji, the basketball coach, was also going to be her homeroom teacher. Hayama had complained loudly to her, kicking her chair all the while, that he was just “never going to get away from that guy, for both class  _and_  basketball practice”, but she was personally quite satisfied that she was going to have all the time she needed to interact with him and try to convince him to let her coach the basketball team somehow.  
  
However, when she had recited her name in front of the class, Shirogane-sensei had jerked his head up from the register, a big change from his previous disinterested manner with the rest of the class.  
  
“ _Aida_  Riko?”  
  
Riko had nodded, and done her best to project a less defiant attitude. After they exchanged a look, during which Riko tried to ascertain the emotion behind his eyes, he returned to his disinterested manner and waved for Hayama to continue introductions.  
  
Riko sat down in her desk for the rest of the day, trying to ignore Hayama’s constant need to  _talk_  to her, and  _disturb_  her, while she thought hard of ways to convince Shirogane-sensei to let her coach.  
  
As Riko annoyedly but absently swatted away Hayama’s hand, which was trying to pull her hair, she grimly set her jaw in determination. She was going to do all the research she could on Shirogane-sensei, and find out as much as she could.

  
____

  
After more than a week of research and pouring over ancient basketball magazines in the Rakuzan archives, Riko was ready to scream in frustration. While she had managed to glean that Shirogane-sensei was supposedly one of the best basketball captains the Japan national team ever had, she also failed completely to gain any sense of his character. He remained as elusive as ever, his taciturn expression glaring at her from all the old pictures, in contrast to the various goofy expressions of her father.  
  
While she was wasting so much time with all this pointless research, the basketball practice season had already started, and Riko felt a sense of urgency and panic that she was missing so many hours.  
  
And so, it was with great regret that she lowered her pride and decided to ask Hayama instead during one of their lunch breaks.  
  
“Haah…? Why do you wanna know what Shirogane is like during practice?” Hayama said, squinting at her and putting his face too close to hers.

Trying hard not to lean away out of irritation, Riko forced a smile on her face, and said, “I’m just curious, Hayama-kun.”  
  
At her rather eerie-looking smile, Hayama leaned back quickly, and then scratched his head, looking thoughtful. “Ehh, I don’t really notice him much. Especially now with Akashi there during practice.” Hayama smiled suddenly. Riko noticed that it wasn’t particularly out of endearment. “That guy’s really…one of a kind.”  
  
Biting back her immediate instinct to ask him what  _Akashi_  was like, she decided to focus on the matter at hand first. “So, you can’t tell me at  _all_ , what Shirogane-sensei is like?”  
  
Hayama just shrugged nonchalantly, and then suddenly perked up. “Hey, why don’t we go ask some of the other basketball players?”  
  
Riko blinked. “What?”  
  
But before she could say anything else, he had grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the classroom. Riko felt annoyance masked in her surprise. It seemed as though all she’d been doing at Rakuzan so far was being dragged around by Hayama.  
  
He brought her to a classroom a few rows down theirs, and marched in while yelling out, “Reo-nee! Eikichi! We got some questions for you guys!”. Unsurprisingly, the whole class turned to look at the orange-haired  _idiot_ dragging Riko in like a rag doll. As they stopped in front of two boys sitting together eating lunch, Riko quickly shook off Hayama, and turned to smile politely at them.  
  
Mibuchi was smiling at her with upturned eyes and waving merrily, while the other boy, Eikichi, was…whoah. He was  _eating._ Not just eating in the normal sense, but completely devouring more food than Riko had ever seen any one individual consume. He glanced up at her, and then said, with his mouth full, “Hey.”  
  
Mibuchi immediately snapped in disgust, “Don’t talk with your mouth full, Ei-chan!” And then, he turned to smile at Riko. “Sorry about him, Riko-chan. This guy’s Nebuya Eikichi. He’s also on the basketball team with Kotarou-chan and I. And…he just loves food. A lot.” Mibuchi winced as Nebuya gave him a food-covered grin. Swallowing in disgust, he turned back to Riko and asked, “How’s everything, Riko-chan?”  
  
“Fine,” said Riko distractedly as she continued watching Nebuya wolf down pieces of sushi, soba, tempura…was that a piece of radish? Hayama had made a game of trying to swipe food from under Nebuya’s arm. Chuckling merrily, he said to Mibuchi, “Riko wants to know about Shirogane.”  
  
“Shirogane-sensei?” Mibuchi put a finger to his chin as he thought. “Hm…he’s quite nice~…I think he listens to students, which is quite lovely of him…”  
  
Nebuya had nodded vigorously at that, slapping Hayama’s sneaky hand, as he raised a piece of mushroom tempura to gesture while saying, “ _Especially_ Akashi.”  
  
At the mention of Akashi once more, Riko frowned. Just how much of an impact did this guy make on the team already? Even as she asked people about Shirogane-sensei, they seemed more inclined to talk about Akashi instead. It was quite puzzling.  
  
But, this new piece of information on Shirogane was useful. She could use that. If he listened to students, perhaps he would hear her out.  
  
____  
  
“No.”  
  
Riko bristled as she frowned at Shirogane-sensei, who was rubbing the board. It was the end of the school day, and Riko had approached Shirogane-sensei to ask him about letting her assist him with coaching the basketball team. She had prepared some logical arguments, but before she could even expound on them, he had cut her off with that dreaded syllable.  
  
He looked at her from the corner of his eye, then sighed, “Riko-san, there are so many other sports just as prestigious as basketball at Rakuzan. I feel it would be better for you to try coaching the others, for your own development.” He scrutinized her carefully. “Don’t be burdened by your failure in the last Interhigh.”  
  
Riko felt a rage rise within her. How dare he bring up Seirin like it was shameful. “But, sensei-”  
  
“My decision is final, Riko-san.”

Riko felt her teeth grind.  
  
____  
  
Riko took a few deep breaths while holding her mobile phone.  
  
She had just got out of the wonderful Rakuzan dormitory shower, and had perhaps scrubbed her hair too hard out of frustration. But the warm water had done her some good, because she now had an idea of what to do.  
  
She was just completely  _dreading_ taking action on it.  
  
Closing her eyes, she gritted her teeth, and thought about Seirin. And Akashi.  
  
At these thoughts, she opened her eyes with renewed vigour and punched the call button.  
  
At only a single ring, her father picked up.  
  
“Riikoo…! You’re finally calling me! You haven’t been picking up my calls all week even though I’ve called you so many times! Why…!”  
  
She bad-temperedly held the phone about a foot away from her ear, waiting for her father’s shrieks to die down. When after two full minutes and she could still hear every word even when the phone was so far away from her, she growled into the phone, “Dad.”  
  
His wails stopped immediately.  
  
Frowning, Riko took a few more deep steadying breaths. Patience, Riko. She lay down on her bed, and then said, “I’m thinking of being an assistant coach to the Rakuzan basketball team. But…the current coach is making things so difficult.”  
  
She kneaded her forehead. “Since he used to be your old teammate…I was wondering if you could tell me what would be the best way to approach this?”  
  
For a few seconds, she heard her father breathe on the line. And then, in a completely calm tone, she heard him say, “…Basketball team, huh? Riko…” She heard him swallow slightly. “Are you sure that you still want to coach for basketball?”  
  
Riko felt a lump on her throat. And then, she said with gritted teeth, “Yes, Dad. It  _has_ to be basketball. I…I owe it to my friends at Seirin to coach basketball here, even if it’s at Rakuzan.”  
  
“But Riko…”  
  
“Rakuzan’s basketball team needs me,” Riko said in a rush, cutting off her father. She closed her eyes, breathing heavily. “I can’t explain it completely…because I don’t understand it myself. There was someone…and then, the coach himself…and, everything about Rakuzan’s so confusing, but…” Riko heard her father breathing on the line for a while. She heard _herself_ breathe for a while.  
  
She swallowed. “I just feel this really intense need to coach Rakuzan...for Seirin’s sake.”  
  
It felt like forever to Riko, hearing her father breathe on the line while she waited for his response. She glanced out the window. Rakuzan’s buildings were illuminated with yellow and white fluorescent lights. Such a pretty picture.  
  
“Okay, Riko. I trust you.”  
  
At these words, Riko felt her breath whoosh out of her as she smiled. Dad was Dad after all. She felt a weight leaving her.  
  
“Ehh…this might sound kinda random, but…” Riko heard her father scratching his head at his end as she waited for him to continue. “Eiji  _really_ likes compliments.”  
  
Riko blinked at her father’s statement.  
  
“What?”  
  
____  
  
“I  _still_ don’t understand why you’ve been going on about Shirogane these past few weeks,” Hayama was saying as he kept up easily with Riko striding down the corridor to Shirogane-sensei’s office.      
  
She had been trying unsuccessfully to shake him off all this while, but he had latched onto her the moment school ended. Riko ground her teeth in frustration. She needed to be alone with Shirogane-sensei for this.  
  
“You don’t  _have_ to understand because it’s  _none of your business,_ ” Riko hissed back at Hayama.  
  
As she and Hayama walked towards the office, they passed by Mibuchi and Nebuya, who had just come out of their classroom.  
  
“Aw, Riko-chan~, is Kotarou-chan bothering you again?” Mibuchi said cheerfully, as he  _also_ kept up with Riko’s strides, falling leisurely by her side.  
  
“Yeah, if you want, we’ll get rid of the brat for you,” Nebuya chuckled as he fell beside Hayama.  
  
“ _She’s_ the one not telling me something important!” protested Hayama.  
  
All of them arrived at the office. Riko stood in front of Shirogane-sensei’s door, and then hissed at all of them, “Everyone, stay away. I need to talk to him in private.” And without waiting for a response, she opened the door, and walked up to Shirogane-sensei, who was merely looking at some documents at his desk.  
  
“Shirogane-sensei!”  
  
He looked up at her call, and then frowned as he took note of her resolute stance. Kneading his forehead, he said, “Riko-san, is there anything I can help you with?”  
  
“Yes, sensei!” said Riko. She bit her lip. She had to sound convincing for this.  
  
“I…I want to be assistant coach to the basketball team!” She heard a splutter come from outside the door. “And I won’t take no for an answer! Because…” She took a deep breath. “I really, really want to learn from you! You’re the best!”  
  
Shirogane-sensei just stared at her, without moving a single muscle.  
  
Riko chewed her lip.

A few beats of silence passed. He still didn’t respond.

“U-uh…you’re definitely better than my father at coaching!" Riko tried to continue. "So…” She fisted her hands. “Instead of being Aida Kagetora’s daughter, I want to be Shirogane Eiji’s apprentice!”  
  
This time, she definitely heard a spluttered exclamation, “A-Aida Kagetora?  _The_ Aida Kagetora?”, which  _definitely_ came from Hayama. She inwardly rolled her eyes. Figures that he wouldn’t have realized the connection, even if she did recite her name in front of the whole class.  
  
Shirogane-sensei had finally stirred from her rather surprising proclamations. He frowned at her, as he sighed, “I’m sorry, Riko-san, but as flattered as I am about these compliments, I still think that you would be better off-”  
  
“Shirogane-sensei.”  
  
Before Riko’s heart could sink too much, she heard a voice, calm and certain, come from behind her. She turned around to see Akashi, flanked by Mibuchi, Nebuya and Hayama, all of whom were also staring at him. Hayama’s and Nebuya’s mouths were slightly open.  
  
Shirogane-sensei had immediately turned to look at Akashi. “Yes, Akashi-kun?”  
  
Akashi strode into the office to stand next to her. She felt a pressure emanating from him, the same pressure she felt when they had locked eyes.  
  
“I think having Aida Riko-san as assistant coach could be advantageous for the team.” Akashi continued. “She would bring a certain perspective and expertise that may elevate the team to even greater heights.” He looked at her serenely, a polished smile on his face. “She  _is_  Aida Kagetora’s daughter.”  
  
“Mm…” Shirogane-sensei leaned back in his chair in thought. Riko held her breath, and felt as though Mibuchi, Nebuya and Hayama were doing the same.  
  
“Alright, Akashi-kun. If you believe that this would be a good thing.” He looked at Riko. “Riko-san, I expect you to attend the practice sessions just like everyone else.”  
  
Then he turned back to his documents, and said with a touch of irritation, “Now everyone out of my office.”  
  
____  
  
Riko wasn’t sure if she liked that out of everyone,  _Akashi_ was the one who ended up pulling through for her. She had gone to Hayama, Mibuchi, Nebuya and even her own father, but  _he_ was the one who ended up getting her what she wanted.  
  
No, she didn’t like it one bit.  
  
Looking at him out of the corner of her eye as they walked down the corridor together, Mibuchi, Hayama and Nebuya behind them, she said, “Hey. Thanks for standing up for me back there.”  
  
He looked at her, and then said, calmly and serenely, belying no emotion, “I was only providing a recommendation that made logical sense.” He turned back to look ahead. “Victory is always certain for us. Having you as assistant coach would at least be…interesting.”  
  
Then he walked ahead of her, saying as he did so, “You owe me for this, Aida Riko.”  
  
Riko stopped short, Hayama slamming into her. “ _What._ ” She hissed.  
  
But before she could say anything else, as Akashi turned around to look at her, Hayama had suddenly tackled her, and yelled out, “ _What_ was that bird, right, Riko?” He turned towards Nebuya, and said frantically, “ _Right,_ Eikichi?”  
  
As Nebuya nodded vigorously in agreement, Mibuchi said to Akashi nervously, “Don’t you have to get to a meeting, Sei-chan?”  
  
Akashi looked at Riko carefully, and then nodded at Mibuchi. Without another word, he turned and left them.  
  
As the boys breathed sighs of relief, Hayama starting to say something to her, Riko never heard him. Because she was still staring after Akashi’s back with narrowed eyes.  
  
This brat was going to be difficult to work with.


	3. First Practice Session

"I still can't believe you didn't tell me  _Aida Kagetora_ is your father," whined Hayama.  
  
He was sitting cross-legged on Riko's desk, taking up nearly the whole expanse of the surface, to her great irritation. Which was his intention entirely, of course. He had moved there after she ignored him even as he kicked her chair and repeatedly called out her name. Despite his hard-to-miss presence right in front of her, Riko steadfastly still tried to ignore him. She had placed a book on the little space she had left on the desk, leaning it against Hayama's crossed legs, where it did battle with Hayama for space.  
  
"No wonder you wanted to coach us so badly," Hayama continued, nudging her book with one of his legs, childish mischievousness shining in his eyes.  
  
Riko sighed. "For the hundredth time, Hayama-kun, it was just your own fault for not realising it when I  _announced_ it to the class." She glared up at him as he nudged the book, and held onto it firmly. "Why does that matter, anyway? I want to coach because I love it and I'm good at it, not because of my father."  
  
Hayama snorted at her words. "Are you even  _sure_ you're good at i-"  
  
Riko punched him in the chest right in front of her to cut him off. He wheezed and swore at her, rubbing the spot where she hit him while glaring at her.  
  
" _Anyway,_ " Hayama said, while still glaring at her. "Rakuzan's gonna be different from anything you've ever experienced." A cocky smirk arose on his face. "We're the  _best._ And we practise like we are too."  
  
Riko didn't say anything in response, focusing on her book.  
  
Hayama frowned, and then reached out a hand to pull her hair. Riko grabbed it without looking up from her book. Growling, Hayama used his superior strength to overturn her hand on his, so that  _he_ was grabbing it instead of the other way round. Riko tried to pull her hand out of his, but he held onto it strongly, laughing gleefully all the while. She used her other hand to grab the wrist of his hand holding her, but he was shouting out something like "no one can beat me!" and she was trying hard to pull her hand free-  
  
"Riikoo-chaan~!"  
  
Hayama stopped his shouting, and Riko froze from her mini-tussle with his hand, as they both looked up to see Mibuchi and Nebuya fluttering towards them. Well, Mibuchi looked like he was fluttering, Nebuya was just striding normally. Both of them had huge grins, especially Mibuchi.  
  
"Hi," said Riko curtly, rubbing her hands as Hayama released her from his captive grip. She threw him a glare, but he just whistled, mischievous glee gleaming in his eyes.  
  
"What are you guys doing here?" asked Hayama, leaning languidly on his hands that were gripping the edges of Riko's desk.  
  
"We're here to see Riko-chan, of course," Mibuchi said happily. Nebuya nodded.  
  
"Yeah, we wanted to wish you luck for your first practice session later today," he said.  
  
"Here!" Mibuchi pushed a card into Riko's hands. "This is from all of us, from the bottom of our hearts!" He smiled at her with gentle, upturned eyes.  
  
Riko looked at the card in her hands. She could just make out the printed word 'Congratulations' on the cover, it was covered with so much glitter and stickers. Below it, she could see the words 'For making assistant coach' in beautiful cursive handwriting. It was actually quite pretty, once you overlook the excessive decoration. She flipped it open, and her eyes were immediately blinded by paragraphs and paragraphs of the same cursive handwriting. Riko glanced at Mibuchi, who was still smiling happily, from the corner of her eye. This must be from him.  
  
The paragraphs continued until the back cover of the card. Flipping it over, she could see a message in a different handwriting squeezed in the bottom right corner. It said, 'Good luck! Looking forward to having you as coach' and a smiley face. From Nebuya. It really was quite touching, if not for the glaring  _wasabi_ stain right next to it.  
  
Next to Nebuya's message was a crude drawing of a male genital organ. Hayama, of course.  
  
Riko looked up at the three of them, Hayama smirking right in front of her, Nebuya sporting a grin, and Mibuchi still smiling so happily.  
  
"Er...thanks," said Riko. "I'll...keep it somewhere safe and secure."  
  
Mibuchi gasped in appreciation, his smile becoming wider. Nebuya chuckled.  
  
As Riko tucked the card away in her bag, a thought occurred to her. She turned to Mibuchi, and said, "Wait, when you said all of us...you meant just you, Nebuya-kun and Hayama-kun, right?"  
  
Mibuchi blinked at her question, and then gulped. "Um...yes, of course, Riko-chan!" He laughed, nervously, Riko noticed with narrowed eyes. "There are just three of us on the card after all!"  
  
Riko glared at Mibuchi, who was looking away from her with a forced smile. "Please tell me you didn't try to get Akashi-kun to sign on this too."  
  
At her words, Riko saw that he  _definitely_ swallowed, before saying, "Whaat? Sei-chan? Why would I do that?" and he laughed nervously again. Nebuya was nodding at her with a forced smile as well, and Hayama had sighed in front of her.  
  
Riko sighed as well, and then said, "Just tell me what he said when you asked him to."  
  
Mibuchi and Nebuya flinched. Mibuchi looked at the ground, while Nebuya tentatively told her, "He said...that such frivolous gifts were not necessary...when you haven't even proven that you were worthy of them."  
  
"Ouch," Hayama said, before dissolving into laughter. He stopped abruptly when he saw Riko gripping her book with too much force.  
  
"That's just the way Sei-chan works," Mibuchi earnestly tried to placate her. "I'm sure he'll acknowledge how good you are once we start practising together." He tried to smile, to dissolve the tension. "All of us together during practice! It'll be so fun!"  
  
Leaning back nonchalantly, Hayama began to say, "It's true, though, we don't  _actually_ know if Riko is even good at coac-"  
  
"So are you nervous for later?" Nebuya cut across him quickly, a forced grin on his face as he saw Riko's face blacken for a moment, her hands closing into fists and moving dangerously close to Hayama.  
  
Riko didn't answer him immediately. She took a few deep breaths. Whether she liked it or not, Akashi made a lot of sense. They wouldn't know how good she was until she actually proved it. She frowned inwardly. If so, why the hell did he vouch for her? Was he just trying to mess with her? Or was he at least just trying to give her a fair chance to prove herself? The brat was confusing as hell.  
  
After another breath, she turned to look at Nebuya, with a sincere smile. "I'm fine, Nebuya-kun. I am experienced in coaching after all."  
  
Nebuya and Mibuchi looked relieved at her mood change, while Hayama was scratching his head and looking at her thoughtfully.  
  
"Yeah, so how  _do_ you coach players anyway?" he asked curiously.  
  
Riko shrugged nonchalantly as she moved to read her book on Hayama's legs once more. "Mm, well, on the first day, I usually make the players take their shirts off." She didn't realise when the boys froze at these words.  
  
She thought back nostalgically to Seirin, and of Hyuuga and Kiyoshi. Smiling, she continued, "And then I would also want them shout out their motivations to the school, and risk confessing to their crush naked if they don't fulfil them."  
  
The three boys were starting to inch away from her.  
  
Smiling wider, Riko finished with, "I'd also make my players eat lots of supplements! You can't build healthy muscles if you don't eat healthy food."  
  
Hayama slipped off her desk, while mumbling to himself, "Nasty."  
  
After immersing herself in the memory of Hyuuga and Kiyoshi forcing down one of her meals, she turned back to the boys, to see them standing a metre away from her.  
  
Riko blinked. "What?"  
  
___  
  
  
Despite her words to the boys, Riko  _was_ slightly nervous to attend her first practice session. The truth of the matter was that Rakuzan was so different from anything she'd ever experienced. Hayama was right in that sense, no matter how irritating he was.  
  
She fought off a mounting sense of nervousness when she arrived at the Rakuzan gym. It was  _huge,_ bigger than even her father's, and his was a national-level gym. She took a moment to bask in the state-of-the-art facilities the gym provided. It had everything she had ever wished for her players, treadmills, exercise bikes, and even a leg speed builder, and VertiMax, a training system used by actual NBA players. She closed her eyes, letting the whirr of the treadmills, and clinks of the dumbbells wash over her.  _This_ was what she came to Rakuzan for. This was what her father, and her friends at Seirin wanted her to experience.  
  
Feeling slightly happier, she opened her eyes again, and walked more confidently towards the basketball courts. As she approached them, she saw Shirogane-sensei sitting on one of the benches by the side. He was looking at the players in front of him, who were all warming up, and performing layups. She glanced towards them as well as she approached him, swallowing slightly. There were so many of them. Compared to Seirin's six players, she felt completely out of her depth.  
  
Reaching Shirogane-sensei, she cleared her throat to get his attention. "Shirogane-sensei! I'm here now, reporting for my first practice session as assistant coach!"  
  
He looked up at her from the corner of his eye, then nodded in greeting.  
  
"Riko-san." He turned back to the players in front of them, still performing their layups, and gestured at them. "These are the first-string players." He pointed towards their right. "Beyond there are the courts for the second-stringers. And further beyond that, is where the third-stringers do their exercises."  
  
Riko nodded, mentally noting all this down. She inwardly swallowed at the fact that Rakuzan had so many courts, one each for each of the strings. And so many players too. She glanced towards the left, at the first-stringers. She estimated that there were at least thirty of them here. There would be even more in the second string and third string.  
  
"I just want you to familiarise with the way Rakuzan does things for today. Observe things. Make a note of your surroundings." He exhaled loudly through his nose. "You can't contribute much until you understand how things are done here in Rakuzan." He looked at her again from the corner of his eye. "Forget how you did things in the past. You're in Rakuzan now. We are winners." As he finished, he waved a lazy hand at her to dismiss her.  
  
Riko inwardly bristled as she left him. How was she going to contribute if she was expected to behave exactly like every Rakuzan person? And she was only expected to observe today, too. She had hoped to at least be able to contribute by the second hour at least. Rakuzan players had intense practice schedules during off-season, between 3-4 hours for 3 weekdays, and 8 hours on both Saturdays and Sundays. It was intense, and the Rakuzan players even had school.  
  
She walked around the gym, eyes focusing on the first stringers like a hawk. All of them were performing perfect layups, revealing how often and how intensely they practised. She tried to measure their stats through their gym clothes. They were definitely higher than Izuki and Hyuuga's level, which really was very good, although not up to Kiyoshi's level. As she narrowed her eyes to measure another first-stringer, she was suddenly called by a familiar voice.  
  
"Hey, Riko!"  
  
Turning towards the source, she saw that it was Hayama, waving frantically at her, a basketball attached to his other hand. Mibuchi and Eikichi were with him, and they both smiled at her genially as she approached them. All of them appeared to be practising their ball-handling.  
  
"How are you finding things so far, Riko-chan?" asked Mibuchi, smiling at her cheerfully.  
  
Riko shrugged. "It's been pretty boring...Shirogane-sensei says I should just observe things for today." She sighed, thinking that maybe she should ogle the Rakuzan equipment once again.  
  
"Aw...don't worry, Riko-chan, things'll get better," Nebuya said, clapping her shoulder. He had taken to calling Riko 'Riko-chan' too, like Mibuchi. It was probably a testament to how much they were around each other.  
  
Riko shot a quick glance at his bicep, and her eyes immediately bulged at the stats. Even though she couldn't see his torso, it was clear that he was at a whole other level than every other first-stringer in the gym. His muscle strength and endurance were off the charts. She had never seen anything like it. She wondered how Kiyoshi would fare against him in a Center battle.  
  
Before she could comment, all of them were suddenly interrupted by a strangled sound, the sound of someone trying to control his emotions. Riko immediately turned towards the source, and her eyes narrowed at the sight.  
  
Akashi appeared to be berating one of the first-stringers, who was kneeling on the floor. Apparently, his knees had given out somehow. Was he injured?  
  
The entire gym had fallen silent at the sound, and so Riko could hear Akashi's every word.  
  
"For every thirty layups, you miss two. That is nearly a seven-percent rate of failure. Do you think that is good enough, Tadashi?"  
  
His voice was as calm and certain as it always was, and reverberated around the gym like tendrils of frost creeping into every corner.  
  
The boy called Tadashi let out a breath in response, and everyone heard it. "N-no, Akashi-kun."  
  
"Then, what do you think should be done?" His voice remained level, like he was asking about the weather, yet there was a hardness to it. "Do you think this is first-string level?"  
  
The boy swallowed. "I-I'll practise harder, Akashi-kun."  
  
Riko heard Akashi hum quietly. Her eyes narrowed even further. She felt Nebuya's comforting hand on her shoulder again.  
  
"Well, that is obvious, of course." Akashi crossed his arms. "However, you are pulling down the rest of the first string. Your failures are tarnishing the quality of our level." He sighed quietly. "That is not teamwork, don't you think, Tadashi?"  
  
Tadashi was looking at the floor. The silence dragged on for a while. "No, Akashi-kun. I-I'll move to the second string."  
  
Akashi sighed quietly again, closing his eyes. "But Tadashi, you have been declining for the past two weeks." He opened his eyes, looking at the boy coldly. "I feel that even the second string will deteriorate if you move there."  
  
His words rang across the gym. Riko blinked. What? Was he implying...  
  
She saw Tadashi nod. "I will resign from the basketball club, Akashi-kun." The boy took a deep breath. "I don't want to pull everyone down."  
  
Riko was feeling a rage rise in her as she saw Akashi give a satisfied smile and a nod. She couldn't just observe this, even as she felt the pressure from Nebuya's hand increase. Was this the way Rakuzan did things? One failure meant you weren't a team player, or worthy of playing basketball? She couldn't comprehend this. Akashi was _captain._ This wasn't the way he should act. Feeling Shirogane-sensei's eyes on her, and with Hyuuga in her mind, she pushed off Nebuya's hand and strode towards the pair.  
  
Akashi turned his steely gaze onto her as she walked up to him.  
  
"You  _can't_ just kick him out like that," Riko said, barely containing her anger. "You haven't even given him the chance to improve."  
  
Akashi raised an eyebrow. "The chance?" His eyes narrowed slightly. "The chance to improve is during practice, and he hasn't been improving at all. And I didn't force him to resign. He chose to himself." He directed his gaze at Tadashi, who nodded immediately.  
  
"Well, you're not  _giving_ him the time to improve," said Riko, her voice straining under her control.  
  
Akashi blinked at her words, and then let out a quiet sigh. "Riko, it seems that you do not understand the Rakuzan practice standards." His gaze hardened. "We do not tolerate sub-par performance." He walked over to a basketball and picked it up. Looking at Riko in the eye, he continued, "I will demonstrate it to you."  
  
He turned to look at Tadashi again. "Tadashi, I will give you another chance to remain in the first string. We will have a one-on-one match, up to ten baskets." Tadashi inhaled sharply. "Judging from the difference in our skill levels, though, I will not defend you when you have the ball. But you are free to defend me as you will. If you win, you can remain in the first string. If not, you will resign, as you previously stated."  
  
Tadashi swallowed, looking like he wanted to decline the offer. But Akashi was gazing at him,  _making_ him agree. Riko was about to protest on his behalf, when he suddenly stammered, "O-Okay, Akashi-kun."  
  
Riko gritted her teeth in suppressed anger.  
  
____  
  
The one-on-one match commenced without ado. Riko was avoiding the looks from Hayama, Mibuchi, Nebuya and Shirogane-sensei. Her attention was utterly fixed on Akashi.  
  
Because his skill was breathtaking.  
  
When he had the ball, he made minimal movements, yet they were all beautifully precise and accurate. Every shot counted. Every dribble calculated to aid in every one of his strategies. And his  _predictive ability._ Even though he wasn't defending Tadashi, he could predict where Tadashi would move to defend  _him,_ as he dodged all of Tadashi's blocks and frantic defensive stances to make shots that always went in.  
  
When Tadashi had the ball, he merely stood by to allow Tadashi to shoot. But although Tadashi was making a lot of shots (he was a good player, Riko could see), he couldn't keep up with the shots Akashi was making. Because  _he_ made errors while Akashi didn't. It was very strange, it was like Akashi was emanating such ominous pressure that Tadashi would fumble and miss a shot.  
  
And so, naturally, with the ten-basket limit, Akashi reached ten first. After the game, Tadashi had quietly picked up his things. Riko was still staring in horror at  _what she had done_. She hadn't meant to humiliate the boy. As he left, he glanced at her when he walked past her. She caught the look of anger at her, and the shame in his eyes. It made her feel shrivelled up inside.  
  
As Akashi stared at her with his pressuring gaze, Riko swallowed, and then said, "I...I still don't agree..." She was still in shock. But she felt her pride rise within her. She had to fight against this, her values were at stake.  
  
Turning towards Hayama, Mibuchi and Nebuya, she quickly beseeched them, "Don't you guys agree with me? You shouldn't kick out someone who hasn't had the chance to improve himself. He's your  _teammate._ "  
  
But her heart fell when she saw them avert their eyes from her,  _Mibuchi_  included. He was so nice. How could he feel the same way? How could  _anyone_?  
  
Akashi said to her, "This is Rakuzan's standard, Riko." His voice felt like it was coming from far away.  
  
Because she was feeling her pride shrivel up inside, and it had never failed her before.  
  
___  
  
Throughout the rest of the practice session, Riko sat next to Shirogane-sensei, eyes looking blankly at the first-stringers performing their drills perfectly and accurately. Akashi was practising his ball-handling with Hayama, Mibuchi and Nebuya. His phenomenal stats swam in her eyes, but she couldn't bring herself to be impressed, even though they were the best she had ever seen on  _anyone,_ Nebuya and Kiyoshi included. She was thinking too much about the way he had dominated over that other boy.  
  
She had to get out of there.  
  
Mumbling to Shirogane-sensei that she was going to explore the Rakuzan gyms, she got up from the bench, and wandered over to the second string gym. She passed by all the second-stringers, their stats brushing over her as she glanced at them from the corner of her eye. They were all good, and could probably qualify for the first string, if not for a few deficiencies here and there. She wondered where her excitement went. She would have loved to have coached such an excellent bunch of players.  
  
She walked towards the third string gym, and spotted them doing basic stamina exercises. Glancing at some of them doing layups, she thought absently that they were still above average, better than Koganei and Tsuchida. The standard of Rakuzan players truly was impressive.  
  
A whistle blew from one of the many assistant coaches Rakuzan had, in the third string gym, signalling that practice was over. The third-stringers immediately moved to warm down, like disciplined little ants. Riko felt a sense of insecurity crawl over her. There were so many assistant coaches, as expected of Rakuzan, but would she even get the chance to coach the third string? Would she get the chance to coach  _Akashi_?  
  
She heard Akashi's voice reply her in her mind.  _You won't if you still can't comprehend Rakuzan's standards._  
  
Shaking her head to clear his voice from her mind, she turned to move towards the third string gym exit, but accidentally bumped into someone.  
  
"Sorry," she said automatically, and looked up to see a grey-haired boy, who merely glanced at her from the corner of his eye, and moved past her to leave the gym.  
  
She stared after him. His stats were just average, and strangely, comfortingly so. She felt as though all the impressive stats from the Rakuzan players were beginning to hurt her eyes. His completely average stats soothed her somewhat.  
  
She moved to leave the gym as well.  
  
____  
  
The sun had already set; the Rakuzan practice session had gone on so long after school that it had already gotten this late. Riko had to get used to this. She was still walking towards her dorms, the corridors illuminated by the cold fluorescent lights of Rakuzan. It seemed like such a long time ago that she thought they made the buildings look so pretty.  
  
But as she reached the female dormitory building, she was suddenly called by someone.  
  
"Riko!"  
  
She turned around to see Hayama, who was panting slightly, and still in his gym clothes. He must have stayed a little later than everyone else. Did he run here?  
  
"Hey," she said, her tone missing some of the edge she usually had when talking to Hayama. She honestly didn't have the energy to be irritated with him.  _He's just like all the Rakuzan people._ The thought resounded in her mind as she looked at him, as he continued panting.  
  
"Er..." He said finally, scratching his head.  
  
Riko just stared at him. What was wrong with him? She'd never heard him so stuck on words before. He was normally so talkative, it was impossible to shut him up.  
  
Then, he suddenly pulled off his shirt.  
  
Riko gaped at his actions.  _What was he doing?!_ "Hayama-kun!" she yelled, leaping back from him as he looked at her with a slight frown, his shirt in his hands.  
  
"What?" He continued looking at her with a childish pout. "You said that you normally get your players to take their shirts off during the first practice session, right?"  
  
Riko was panting as she continued staring at him with wide eyes.  _Huh?_  
  
Then, it clicked.  
  
Riko had never laughed harder than she ever did then, Hayama still staring at her with his slight pout as the tears came out of her eyes, and she gripped her stomach because it was  _hurting_ so much.  
  
____  
  
  
"So you're saying that he  _actually_ made that poor guy leave?"  
  
Hyuuga's slightly angry tones sounded in Riko's ears, as she sat in her bed under her blanket, leaning against her pillows comfortably. She had just got out of the shower, and was having her regular nightly conversations with Hyuuga.  
  
"Yeah...it was really hard to watch," Riko sighed, as she lay her head back on her pillow. "I wish my Miracle was as easy to handle as yours."  
  
Hyuuga laughed. "Yeah, he's great. It was hard to believe he was one of them when we first met him. He works really well with Kagami, though. They're spectacular to watch."  
  
Riko nodded to herself, and wished she could see Kagami's stats with her eyes. With the way Hyuuga was raving about him, she wanted to compare him with the overwhelming stats of all the Rakuzan players she had seen today.  
  
"Anyway," Hyuuga continued. "Kiyoshi wanted to ask you, and me too, after hearing this story of yours." She heard him take a deep breath. "D-do you think you'll be okay at Rakuzan?"  
  
She heard a tinge of slight regret in his tone. How could he? Riko rolled her eyes. Even if he did push her to go to Rakuzan, even she knew how big of an opportunity this was. She was doing all this for his sake. And there was no way any of them could have known Rakuzan was...like  _this._  
  
But when she heard his question, the unbidden image of Hayama taking off his shirt emerged in her mind, and she couldn't help cracking a wide grin. That memory would sustain her through many dark moments, she just knew.  
  
"Yeah." She heard her voice become stronger, optimism swelling within her, blossoming from that memory. "I'll be just fine." And her smile became wider.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I looked up NBA practice schedules and sports in Japanese high schools, and tried to combine them in this story, but am still not sure if Rakuzan's practice schedule is realistic. So please suspend your disbelief if you find it unrealistic. Or let me know, and I'll edit it. (:


	4. Team Dynamics

"I just don't understand him at all! He gets me the assistant coach position, then he says something like how I need to be mindful of the Rakuzan method. But I thought I was supposed to contribute my own experience!"  
  
Riko slammed her fist on Hayama's table, gritting her teeth in frustration. She had turned around to vent to Hayama during the brief recess before homeroom started. Ever since the Shirtless Incident (as Riko had started to dub it in her mind), she had started thinking of Hayama as someone she could pour her frustrations to, even if he  _was_ still stuck with the Rakuzan mentality. She felt that she could trust him somewhat.  
  
Riko had been thinking all about the disastrous first practice session for several nights, and throughout the other practice sessions she attended. The memory kept replaying in her mind like a broken projector, evoking bitterness and shame in herself like sinister vines stretching and entrapping her heart. Akashi demonstrating to her the Rakuzan way and Mibuchi, Nebuya and Hayama actually willing to succumb to it rattled her. It brought out all the feelings she rarely felt: insecurities, vulnerabilities, self-doubt. It made her wonder if she could even coach in a place like Rakuzan.  
  
But her pride was stronger than that. After the initial shock, she felt it stir from where it had shrivelled up deep within her, with every time she reviewed the memory of Akashi's demonstration.  
  
And she felt her need to coach Akashi rise even stronger than it was before. His phenomenal stats aside, the more she remembered his cold, hard gaze, the more her pride rose, and the stronger the need became. It was strange to her...she was initially so shaken she wanted to give up. But she still wanted to coach him, even if she didn't understand him or his motivations in the slightest.  
  
"Whoah there," Hayama said, grabbing her fist when she wanted to slam it down again. Sighing, he leaned back, and then said, "Well, then, so why are you even trying to understand him? Akashi's just...no one can understand him." He shrugged. "You don't know if you can really believe what he's saying sometimes. He just  _says_ things. You know?"  
  
Riko stared at him with a slight frown. "And you're just okay with that? With listening to everything he says without even trying to understand  _why_ he says them?"  
  
Hayama shrugged again. Crossing his arms, he continued, "Yeah. You just gotta follow what he says. He has his own reasons. Why would I need to question what he thinks? I  _trust_ him, you know."  
  
Riko gaped at him. "You  _trust_ hi-"  
  
"Yeah, I do," Hayama said immediately, cutting off her question. "All of us do." He leaned forward eagerly, and then said, "So why don't you just do the same? He gets you the assistant coach position, you be assistant coach. He tells you to follow the Rakuzan way, you just follow the Rakuzan way. Easy." He leaned back again, his signature impish smirk back on his face. "And then you can have a happy high school life."  
  
Riko bristled at his words. "No!" She slammed her fist on his table again, and he jumped slightly at her action. "I  _won't_! It's wrong!" She glared at Hayama intensely. "I'll prove it to you."  
  
Then she whipped around with a huff, and concentrated on her textbook even though Hayama kept trying to get her to turn around again, kicking her chair and chanting out her name with increasing volume, until the whole class was looking at their corner.  
  
But Riko didn't notice, because she was gritting her teeth in determination. She was going to make Akashi acknowledge her, and her methods.  
  
____  
  
When Riko entered the Rakuzan gym later that day for another practice session, she found that all the players were already lining up in front of Shirogane-sensei, and the assistant coaches as well opposite the players and next to Shirogane-sensei. She quickly fell in line with the assistant coaches, quirking a small smile at Mibuchi and Nebuya, who were waving discreetly at her as they spotted her. She hid a snigger as she noticed Hayama already spacing out, but stopped immediately when she spotted Akashi right in front of everyone, serene as always.  
  
"Mm...okay...the reason I wanted to gather all of you here is to announce two things," Shirogane-sensei said, eyebrows furrowed and looking at a clipboard in his hands.  
  
"First are the dates of our training camp. It'll last one week, of course, and it will be held about three weeks before the Interhigh. It is mandatory for everyone to attend." He stopped here to glare sternly at all the players.  
  
"Second, we will be having a practice match next Saturday. As befitting of our reputation, the school that'll be coming to practise with us is also of a certain level." He took a breath, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned. "Shuutoku High."  
  
Immediately, some of the newer third-string players started murmuring among themselves. Riko noticed Akashi's brow furrow imperceptibly. Interesting.  
  
"One of the Three Kings of Tokyo," Shirogane-sensei continued in a slightly louder voice above the murmurs. "You should be aware of the school already. They will be sending their regulars and their first string, so only our first string players will participate in the match. But the second and third string players can watch  _after_ they have finished all their basic stamina exercises and shooting drills."  
  
He glared at all the players again, and then said, "You are all dismissed. Return to your training."

As the players bustled to do their respective exercises, Riko stood there for a moment. The memory of last summer was running through her mind, like a tidal wave. The numbers  _141_ and  _45_ were flashing in her eyes. Hyuuga's face, so determined, so resolute, was clear; she saw Izuki in her mind's eye, desperately passing the ball to him for a three-pointer. She saw Tsuchida frowning as he tried to grab a rebound and compete with the overwhelmingly strong Center, Taisuke Otsubo.

Then, the vision was gone. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath. She was in Rakuzan now. This was an opportunity.

Riko quickly rushed towards Shirogane-sensei, her heart beating in anticipation. She couldn't believe she would get the chance to observe such a high-level match not only in person, but in the capacity of assistant coach for one of the teams. Only Rakuzan could have offered this to her.  
  
"Shirogane-sensei," Riko called out, gaining his attention as he looked up from the clipboard at her. She noticed him sigh discreetly and she frowned at that. Why did he always seem so weary around her?  
  
"I would like to respectfully request for me to assist you during the practice match between Rakuzan and Shuutoku," Riko continued. "I believe that I can contribute because I have had experience coaching a win against one of Tokyo's best eight-"  
  
"You are not permitted," interjected Shirogane-sensei, a hint of weariness in his tone.  
  
Riko gaped at him. "Why not, Sensei?"  
  
"Riko-san..." Shirogane-sensei exhaled loudly through his nose. "There are so many assistant coaches at Rakuzan. A lot of them would want to assist me." He looked at her sternly. "And a lot of them have more experience than you, a high school student."  
  
His words stung. Riko felt her heart throb with anger. He definitely meant skill as well.  
  
"I'm afraid I can't permit you to assist me in coaching just because you request me to. You can watch just like everyone else. That should be good enough," he said. Turning around to walk towards the first string players, he said with his back facing her, "Now go do your job with the third string players."  
  
Riko blinked in surprise at his retreating back. This was the first time he had outwardly ordered her to coach a particular string. She had been spending the practice sessions since the first one going to all three sections, trying to analyse what would be most needed in each string.  
  
Although she knew he meant it in a derogatory way, she felt happy that she was going to get the chance to do her job with one of the strings. The third string players were good to her.  
  
But...she frowned bitterly at the thought that she wouldn't be able to coach the Rakuzan-Shuutoku match. She shouldn't have been surprised at his words, but it was still difficult to hear. She felt someone approach her and put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
Turning, she saw that it was Mibuchi. Nebuya and Hayama were behind him.  
  
"Riko-chan, do you want to help me do my stretches?" Mibuchi said, with gentle eyes. "You can let me know if I've done them enough to begin practising."  
  
"I can't because I have to help the third string instead," she replied. From the corner of her eye, she saw Nebuya shaking his head in sympathy and Hayama swallowing, thinking that she was angry. Why would they act that way? The third string players were still teammates.  
  
"I'm just disappointed that I won't be able to coach the first string during the practice match," she told them with a sigh.  
  
"I hope you weren't expecting to coach the first string so quickly."  _His_ voice came from behind her, even and impassive as it always was. She turned to look at Akashi striding towards their group.  
  
"You have only recently started. You have not proven your worth." His steely gaze bore into Riko, and she felt like she was struggling to stay afloat in a sea of water. "Rakuzan rewards winners and high performers. Prove to us that you are one."  
  
He turned to Hayama, Mibuchi and Nebuya. "Come with me. We will practise our formations after stretching. Stop doing such unnecessary things."  _Stop this useless encouragement nonsense._ Riko could hear the heavy implication in Akashi's words.  _This is the Rakuzan way._  
  
Riko watched them as they left. Then, she turned as well, to walk towards the third string gym. So it was the Rakuzan way to leave people alone to solve their own problems, rather than doing it together.  
  
A flash of Hayama, in the Shirtless Incident, ran through her mind. She furrowed her eyebrows in determination.  
  
This was fine. She was strong enough to handle it without the support.  
  
____  
  
Riko entered the third string gym to see them already warming up with the jump ropes, and jogging around the gym. She walked around the players, scrutinising them carefully with narrowed eyes. That player needed to build stronger calf muscles. The one next to him needed to improve his running technique. The one in front of them would need to improve his stamina.  
  
As she continued walking, she felt a sudden contact on her knee. Looking down, she realised that she had accidentally bumped into the shoulder of a grey-haired boy, who was already doing his stretches on the floor. He was glaring at her for interrupting.  
  
Riko blinked. She hadn't realised he was there. "Oh, I'm so sorry." She squatted down to his level and smiled. "I hope I didn't disturb you too much."  
  
The boy's frown disappeared and his face became impassive, smooth and clear like crystal. "No, it's fine." He turned away from her to continue his stretches.  
  
Riko frowned as she watched him stretch. She extended an arm and placed her hand on his back, as she said, "You're not stretching your hamstrings enough. You have to lean forward more." She applied a little pressure on her hand.  
  
The boy blinked at her actions, and then did as she instructed. After remaining in that position for several seconds, he switched position. As he did so, he said, "I suppose you're not actually a random passerby then?"  
  
Riko smiled, and she moved her arm away. "No, I'm not. I'm Riko, one of the assistant coaches."  
  
The boy nodded as he continued his stretches. "That's strange. I didn't expect to see someone practically my age coaching at Rakuzan." Riko was wondering if there was any insult behind that statement (his voice was as emotionless as his visage), when he continued, "I'm Mayuzumi Chihiro. Third year. And third string player."  
  
This time, Riko could sense some bitterness behind his words. She frowned inwardly. What was there to be so disappointed about? The Rakuzan players were confusing her. Outwardly, she cheerfully said, "So you're my senpai then. Nice to meet you, Mayuzumi-senpai! I hope we can get along well."  
  
Mayuzumi nodded. "Yeah, I hope we will. Since I assume you'll be stuck coaching us third-stringers for a long time." The way he said 'third-stringers' rattled Riko again. He spat the words out like they were poison.  
  
Riko frowned at him. "There's no shame in being one of the third string. You're all very good players." She saw him scoff at her words, and she continued with slight irritation, "It's true. Your basic fundamentals are strong."  
  
"There's no point in having strong fundamentals if you're outshone in every other way by others. Those Uncrowned Kings," said Mayuzumi, a trace of bitterness in his voice. "With them there, there's no way I can get to play in a match."  
  
Uncrowned Kings? Was he talking about Hayama and the others?  
  
Riko knitted her eyebrows as she looked at him, and said, "It's not about playing in a match, isn't it? It's about supporting your team, even when you're in the third string." She saw him look away from her. She wondered irritatedly why Rakuzan people were so individualistic. "Anyway, it just takes some time. You just need to keep working hard, and eventually the coach will recognise your abilities and put you in a match, even if you're not a regular starter."  
  
She tried to smile encouragingly at him even though he was still looking away from her and she had the urge to force his face towards hers. "That's what I'm doing too. We can both do it together! I'm going to work hard coaching the third string so that eventually I will get the chance to coach the first string in actual matches. And you can work hard with me so that you will eventually be put in a match."  
  
Mayuzumi snorted. "How naive are you?" He stopped his stretches and stood up. "I'm a third year. I've been working hard for longer than most people here." He looked at her from above, eyes narrowed but still revealing no emotion. "I sincerely wish you luck in your endeavour. It will be hard for you. But for me, my time is almost over. I don't think I can attend practice for much longer."  
  
After he finished, he walked away from her without looking back once. Riko ground her teeth at his retreating back. What was  _with_ his defeatist attitude? It infuriated her.  
  
She stood up, shaking her head to try to clear her mind of Mayuzumi. She would have to try talking some sense into him once he was less angry and bothered.  
  
She turned back to the other third-stringers. They needed her too, and she would do her best to help them, even if some of them were even more demotivated than Mayuzumi.  
  
____  
  
In subsequent practice sessions Riko tried looking for Mayuzumi, but he was very difficult to spot. And in the times she did spot him, she was immediately dragged away by Hayama ("Am I doing my stretches alright, Riko? Huh, Riko? Riko, you're not looking!") so by the time she rushed back to the third string gym to talk to him, she couldn't find him anymore. She had never met anyone so easy to lose track of.  
  
And so, as the week wore on, Riko busied herself with researching Shuutoku. They must have changed from last year. While she might not get the chance to coach the Rakuzan team playing, the research would still be useful. And it was  _Shuutoku High._ Granted, she was at Rakuzan _,_ which was arguably more prestigious, but she was still filled with anticipation of seeing Shuutoku's team in action this year.  
  
She found out that they had obtained one of the Generation of Miracles too. Midorima Shintarou. The former shooting guard of the Miracles. She couldn't wait to see his technique to compare it with Mibuchi's. Mibuchi had shown her his shooting style during one of the earlier practice sessions and she had been blown away. It had been so  _beautiful,_ and so  _fluid,_ his motions smooth and certain, the ball completely within his control despite the distance from the hoop. His form was so effortless too, it was utterly breathtaking to watch. And it looked a little familiar – with a pang, she thought it reminded her of Hyuuga.  
  
But if Mibuchi, as an Uncrowned King, already had such an impressive technique, she wondered how much better Midorima Shintarou could be.  
  
When Saturday came around, it was with great anticipation when she entered the Teikou gym. She could feel the buzz in the air, the murmurs of the players as they did their exercises, and they were normally so silent like disciplined soldiers. Glancing over at the first string as she made her way into the third string gym, she saw Hayama excitedly bouncing on the balls of his feet and shouting at Mibuchi, even  _more_ hyperactive than usual. Mibuchi was trying to calm him down, and Nebuya was munching on an energy bar. She wondered if he was nervous to be matched up with Otsubo.  
  
As she entered the third string gym, she automatically glanced around to look for Mayuzumi. She couldn't see him anywhere. Frowning, she scoured the whole gym to find his signature grey hair.  
  
After nearly half an hour of looking, some of the third stringers already moving into practising drills, she still couldn't find him. Approaching one of the other assistant coaches who was perusing a clipboard, she tapped his shoulder to gain his attention. When he turned to look at her, she asked him, "Excuse me, I'm looking for Mayuzumi Chihiro? He's a third year student in the third string. I can't find him anywhere in the gym. Could you tell me where he could be, if you've set him any training sets apart from the others, perhaps?"  
  
The assistant coach frowned in thought, scratching his head slightly. "Mayuzumi Chihiro...I don't really remember him. Hold on a moment." He flipped through the documents on his clipboard, trailing his finger down the list of names.  
  
"Ah, yes," he finally said, jabbing his finger on the clipboard. He read from the notes, "Mayuzumi Chihiro. Third string player. Zero matches played. Little chance of being promoted to the second string." He looked up at her once he was done. "He quit the club recently."  
  
Riko blinked. "What? He  _quit_?"  
  
The assistant coach nodded his confirmation. He rustled the papers on his clipboard. "I suppose he couldn't handle the training menu." Turning away from her to walk away, he continued as he left, "That's fine, Rakuzan doesn't need players like that anyway."  
  
Riko continued gaping as she stared at the assistant coach's retreating back. She had known Mayuzumi was already disillusioned, but she didn't know it was to this extent. He was very difficult to read.  
  
But she couldn't ponder on the issue any longer, because there was suddenly a commotion somewhere in the first string gym. She heard snatches of "Shuutoku" in the murmurs and, feeling her heart leap in her throat, she made to stride towards the first string gym. Shuutoku was here! Mayuzumi flew out of her mind in her excitement.  
  
But before she could make a step, she was suddenly called out by an  _irritatingly_ familiar voice, "Riikoo!" Turning her head towards the voice, she saw Hayama sprinting at full speed towards her. Holding out her hands as he skidded to a stop right in front of her, she quickly said, "Hayama-kun, please, I know-"  
  
But she couldn't continue because he had grabbed one of her outstretched hands and started dragging her over to the first string gym. As she felt herself being dragged like a sack of potatoes for the how-many'th time, she sighed inwardly.  
  
They both arrived in the first string gym to see several of the players gathering around the entrance to the gym. Hayama, still dragging Riko, rudely pushed players aside to get to the front side of the entrance. In the midst of the "hey!"s and "watch it!"s, Riko quickly apologised, bowing her head at every player who glared at them. Her fingers were starting to feel numb in Hayama's grip.  
  
They reached the side of the entrance to see Akashi shaking hands with Otsubo, captain to captain. Hayama squashed Riko to the side of the door, very much like that first time in their classroom, and muttered to Riko, "Move a bit, will you? I want to see Midorima."  
  
Scowling as she pressed her hand against his chest while he craned his neck above the other players around them, Riko tried to poke her head and peer through the crowd around them. Glancing behind Otsubo to the players behind, she finally saw him. Midorima Shintarou. He was standing next to a shorter, black-haired boy who was elbowing him incessantly and whispering something to him. And Midorima was carrying a...what? A neon pink lipstick? Huh? It was lying flat on his palm. And his fingers were...taped?  
  
But before Riko could scratch her head in puzzlement, she saw Akashi turn towards Midorima, and Midorima did so too. They both looked at each other for a while. Riko suddenly felt the temperature drop, in the silence. It seemed as though everyone was holding their breath. She could feel the awkwardness, even when she wasn't even next to them. She saw Akashi open his mouth, and strained her ears to listen to their conversation.  
  
But all he said was, "Shintarou.", and he gave Midorima a nod. Riko caught his gaze – it was heavy, and measured. She felt the pressure from it creep over her again. But she couldn't discern the slight emotion in it.  
  
Midorima, meanwhile, had used a hand to push up his spectacles, so she couldn't see his eyes. He nodded as well and said, "Akashi."  
  
At this point, Hayama patted Riko on the head from above where he was leaning over her and pointed at Shirogane-sensei next to Akashi. Shirogane-sensei was also locking eyes with Shuutoku's coach, both of them giving steely gazes at each other. Glancing upwards from the corner of her eye at Hayama's face, she saw his eyes bulging with suppressed mirth.  
  
Both pairs continued looking at each other for a moment.  
  
"Why are they acting like scornful ex-lovers?" Riko whispered to Hayama, and he immediately cracked up, stuffing his fist into his mouth to hide the sounds.  
  
Then, the black-haired boy next to Midorima, who had previously been looking between the both sides curiously and with badly suppressed excitement, suddenly cleared his throat and said, "Ehh, weelll, I'd like to put my bags somewhere now, so...locker room, or benches?"  
  
And then Akashi and Midorima blinked, and Shirogane-sensei and Shuutoku's coach stirred from their positions, clearing their throats. Shirogane started gesturing and walking to lead Shuutoku over where they could put their things, and as everyone started moving, noise filled the gym once again.  
  
"Maan, that was  _awesome,_ " Hayama said, wiping mirthful tears from his eyes. Then, a cocky smirk arose on his face. "I can't  _wait_ to play them. They look strong."  
  
"That's good, now get off me now," Riko said grumpily as she shoved him away from her. He had still been leaning on her despite the dispersing crowd.  
  
Ignoring Hayama's immediate whines and protests, she looked towards Shuutoku's retreating backs, her eyes shining with anticipation. Because he was right, and  _she_ couldn't wait either.  
  
____  
  
After Shuutoku put away their things, they came out to the court to stretch and warm up. Riko was over in the third string gym, trying to concentrate while she helped a group of third stringers with their stamina drills, blowing her whistle for every set. However, they were distracted as well, and eventually Riko and the other assistant coaches relented and all of them filed into the first string gym. Fortunately, the Shuutoku players were still warming up by performing layup drills.  
  
The Rakuzan players, having warmed up, were in a huddle by their side of the court. They were deep in discussion. She was about to move over there too, when she passed by the Shuutoku side and overheard someone saying, "What, Shin-chan? You're not playing?"  
  
Turning her head to look at the Shuutoku group, she saw the black-haired boy talking to Midorima. Midorima shook his head, adjusted his spectacles and said, "No. After speaking with Rakuzan's coach and Akashi, Nakatani-sensei decided that it would be better for me to sit out this match, and let the other Shuutoku players get the practice." He looked sternly at the other boy. "Now continue your layup drills."  
  
Riko frowned in disappointment as she heard him. She felt the bitterness creep over her like a fog. She had been _so_ looking forward to seeing him play against Akashi. It had been all she had been thinking about all week. Glancing over at Akashi at the Rakuzan side, he was calmly explaining something to the rest of the Rakuzan team. She supposed he wasn't going to be playing either. She couldn't help wondering if this was a deliberate decision. She looked at Midorima, who was carefully inspecting his taped fingers and holding his lipstick primly.  _On both their parts._  
  
"Jeez, Shin-chan, it's going to be really difficult to beat them without you," the black-haired boy was whining. He stretched his arms, pouting slightly.  
  
"You have to win anyway, Takao," Midorima told him with sternness in his voice. He frowned at the boy called Takao. "Now go do the layups with everyone."  
  
Takao sighed, then with an impish grin, suddenly ran over to the hoop, cutting through the queue of players. He grabbed a ball, and did a powerful layup. He laughed merrily as he landed on the ground after his jump.  
  
Riko blinked. As the other Shuutoku players started berating him, Riko couldn't help but be impressed with the boy's skill. He really was very good, she could see just from the layup alone.  
  
She smiled slightly at this display of basketball ability, and the smile widened as she saw the boy's antics uniting the team as they irritatedly told him off. Midorima even wandered over to Takao and the group from where he had been slightly isolated by the benches.  
  
Still smiling, she continued over to the Rakuzan side. Sitting down on the benches behind the group huddled together, she overheard Nebuya saying, "So, Akashi, you're not playing, so it's just going to be Kotarou, me and Reo, and then any two first string players?"  
  
Akashi nodded at Nebuya, and then said, "That's correct. We will alternate between a few first string players for the remaining two spots, so that they can get the opportunity to train themselves against a team like Shuutoku. You three, however, will keep playing throughout the game."  
  
"Alright!" Hayama shouted, pumping his fist in the air. He grinned deviously. "This is gonna be fun."  
  
Akashi directed his even gaze at Hayama, and said, "I am expecting you to win, even without me. The three of you should be enough to guarantee victory against Shuutoku without Shintarou. That is Rakuzan's strength."  
  
Riko saw Hayama swallow, and Mibuchi saying, "Of course, Sei-chan, don't worry," as he lifted a hand to pat Akashi on the shoulder, but he withdrew it when Akashi turned his gaze onto him.  
  
After looking at all three of them in the eye, Akashi turned around and moved to select the first string players who would play in the match. Riko saw the boys release breaths of relief, and she frowned. Akashi had no qualms about intimidating his teammates.  
  
What was Shirogane-sensei doing? He seemed to be leaving all the decisions to Akashi. She glanced at him next to Nebuya, his arms crossed. He had just listened to Akashi's words. While Riko could see the logic behind Akashi's decisions, she wondered about his motivation methods. It was completely alien to her. How could the team be excited to win after a speech like that? Glancing at Hayama, she felt slightly sad that all his enthusiasm for the match had gone, and was now replaced with seriousness. He looked completely focused.  
  
 _But the two aren't mutually exclusive, Hayama-kun._  
  
After the Shuutoku players finished their warm up and drills, both teams lined up opposite each other. One of the Rakuzan assistant coaches was going to referee the match.  
  
After the bowing and formalities, the teams got into position. The assistant coach held the ball, the whistle in his mouth. Then he threw the ball high into the air, and blew the whistle.  
  
Riko sat forward, her chin on steepled fingers, and started to watch the match, her eyebrows furrowed in her focus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things:
> 
> \- I can't remember if Riko was aware of the existence of the Uncrowned Kings before meeting Hanamiya for the second time in the manga, so in this story, it's hinted that she's only slightly aware of it.
> 
> \- People might not like it that Midorima and Akashi aren't playing, but for plot and character development purposes, it has to be this way. It's still pretty early in the plot, anyway. And it's already been covered in the manga, so I don't want to just rehash, or cover old ground.


	5. Matches and Unicorns

Riko sat on the edges of the bench, her fingernails digging into her palm, and her teeth sinking into her lower lip. She chanced a quick glance at Akashi, and saw that his face was as impassive as it always was. But for his eyes. They were slightly narrowed, and there was a certain hardness in them.  
  
Because Rakuzan was  _losing._  
  
It didn't start out that way. In the first quarter, Rakuzan dominated the entire time. Mibuchi, Nebuya and Hayama worked flawlessly with one another, revealing how intensely they practised formations. The remaining two first-stringers were also very good, and supported the three Uncrowned Kings perfectly. Mibuchi's shots went in consecutively, Hayama's  _dribbles_ and  _drives..._ Riko never thought she could ever be impressed with him, but his ball-handling truly was the best she'd ever seen. Nebuya probably had the worst match-up against Otsubo, but he was still near-indomitable under the net.  
  
And then, after the break, the second quarter was when everything changed.  
  
Shuutoku switched to a 2-3 zone defense, a formation in which three players defended the area around the net while two defended near the perimeter, from the man-to-man defense they had in the first quarter. And they started playing with more fervour and intensity.  
  
Riko bit her lip as she continued watching the intense match unfold.  
  
"Hey, you! Pass the ball here!"  
  
Hayama growled at the Rakuzan first-stringer who was playing point guard. The boy quickly threw the ball over, and it hit Hayama's palm with a smack. Hayama turned immediately and started dribbling with heart-stopping speed towards the basket. Riko could barely hear each individual dribble, the ball was thumping so quickly on the ground.  
  
It was on Hayama's left- , no, now it was on his right- , now left hand again, he was passing by a blond Shuutoku player so quickly, the boy could only turn halfway to face him, he stretched out a hand to stop Hayama but Hayama was already through-  
  
Now Otsubo was right in front of him, how did he get there, was he expecting it- , Hayama couldn't get through Otsubo's defenses, near the net, Nebuya was holding out a hand for a pass. The ball whooshed under Otsubo's arms; Hayama truly was impressive, that pass was so fast, it was heading right for Nebuya's outstretched hand-  
  
It was intercepted by the boy called Takao, how did he sense that pass trajectory- , he was dribbling the ball speedily towards the other end of the court. Hayama was sprinting back to defend, the other two Rakuzan players were also running back but Takao was so  _fast-_  
  
And now Mibuchi and Hayama were finally back at Shuutoku's half-court and Hayama was running towards Takao to steal the ball from Takao's dribbling, but just as his fingers brushed against it, Takao suddenly threw the ball behind him without looking at it. Does that pass even make  _sense_ -  
  
The ball ended up in the Shuutoku's shooting guard's hands and he made a perfect three-pointer.  
  
The shot was greeted with cheers from the Shuutoku side. Riko gritted her teeth and she saw Hayama do the same on the court. Mibuchi walked towards Hayama and patted him on the back, saying something to him as Hayama gesticulated angrily, and said something she couldn't hear amidst the Shuutoku cheers.  
  
The round started again, and Takao was holding the ball. He started dribbling slowly, and then suddenly made a quick drive into the zone near the basket. One of the Rakuzan first-stringers marking him immediately moved to defend him, making it hard for him to get through. But he suddenly threw the ball towards the side, towards the blond Shuutoku player. With a scowl on his face, Hayama, who was marking him, immediately settled into a stance that made him look animalistic, guarding the boy furiously.  
  
"You won't get through me," he snarled at the blond boy.  
  
"Don't be rude to your senpai!" Riko heard the boy growl at Hayama, and then mumble something under his breath, which looked like "pineapples" from the way his lips moved.  
  
And then the boy was suddenly dribbling the ball powerfully into the zone, trying to get past Hayama, but Hayama's defence was too intense- , then the ball was suddenly thrown towards the boy's left, it was heading towards Takao who was nearer the basket – this formation was planned, Riko could tell – Takao caught the ball and started doing one of his powerful layups. Nebuya was moving towards him, his arm outstretched to hit the ball when it flew towards the hoop, but Takao was so fast he was going to make it, he was going to make his first leaping step-  
  
Takao suddenly fell to the floor as Hayama barrelled into him, desperate to defend from where he was just a few feet away earlier.  
  
The referee blew his whistle. "Foul! Two free throws!"  
  
At this, Hayama's eyes widened. He turned to look down at Takao on the floor.  
  
He was smirking. The blond boy walked towards him and helped him up. As he stood up, he continued looking at Hayama with a smirk, and then he turned around to walk towards the free throw line, stretching his arms exaggeratedly in preparation for the throw.  
  
"Bastard," Riko saw Hayama growl. Mibuchi walked over to him and whispered something in his ear.  
  
The players gathered around to prepare for a rebound as Takao bounced the ball a few times, before taking a breath and aiming the ball towards the hoop.  
  
The ball flew in perfectly. "One!" The referee called.  
  
During the second free throw, Riko saw Takao just quirk a confident smirk, and then he threw the ball in without any ado.  
  
It was deafening in the Rakuzan gym; calls of "Shuutoku! Shuutoku!" were being chanted from the Shuutoku side, and it was quite impressive that despite their smaller number, the sounds resonated with all their spirit and motivation. The Rakuzan side was merely silently watching, their faces grim.  
  
Riko turned to look at Akashi. His eyebrows were now slightly furrowed, a change from his usual unruffled visage, and the hardness in his eyes had become more pronounced. She felt herself frown at this.  
  
After the free throws by Takao, the game resumed, with Rakuzan starting. However, Riko could tell that Rakuzan's flow was disrupted; the Rakuzan point guard was pressured very intensely by Takao, who was defending in the front of the zone, and he made a weak pass towards the other Rakuzan first-stringer. The boy barely caught the pass without it being intercepted by Shuutoku's power forward. He tried to drive near the basket, but Shuutoku's zone defence was too strong, and he ended up sending a fumbled pass to Mibuchi behind him.  
  
As Mibuchi made to throw a three-pointer, one of the Shuutoku players ran forwards desperately and defended him intensely, forcing Mibuchi out of his form before he could settle into it. Mibuchi immediately dribbled into the perimeter and made a quick jump shot. Two points to Rakuzan.  
  
Unfortunately, those were the only points obtained by Rakuzan in the remaining second quarter. The rest of the time, all of them made a few fumbles as they were pressured by Shuutoku's strong defence. And when the referee called for the ten-minute break before the second half, they silently turned and moved towards the benches with serious expressions, amidst the deafening Shuutoku cries.  
  
Riko stood up to look at them as they moved to pick up their bottles from the benches. Nebuya was looking grim as he picked up an energy bar and ripped it open. Mibuchi looked worried, his eyebrows furrowed and eyes filled with emotion, as he handed a water bottle to Hayama while patting his shoulder.  
  
And Hayama looked angry and upset. Riko had never seen such a frown on him before. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his face. The look on his face was burrowing into her heart and mind, evoking flashes of memories, strangely of how she felt when she coached Seirin during the Interhigh.  
  
She had to go over there. She just  _couldn't_  let him remain looking like that any longer.  
  
So Riko stood up and strode towards the team, even as she saw Shirogane-sensei and Akashi do the same from the corner of her eye.  
  
As she approached them, Mibuchi turned to look at her, and with a forced smile on his face, said, "Riko-chan! Hi!", while at the same time, Hayama next to him started growling at her, "What are  _you_ doing here–"  
  
Riko slapped him in the face.  
  
"Wh-Wha–?!" Hayama spluttered as his hands flew to his face. "The hell you're  _doing!_ "  
  
Riko crossed her arms, and let out a sigh. "Hayama-kun, calm down. You're too hot-headed."  
  
"Of course I am! You just slapped me!" He shouted in response.  
  
"I'm talking about in the  _game._ " She glared at him as he breathed heavily in front of her, still holding his cheek where she slapped him. She inwardly felt relieved that the furrow in his eyebrows had smoothened slightly, and the storminess in his eyes had cleared.  
  
She turned towards the whole team. "Have you all not noticed what Shuutoku's doing?" At this point, she suddenly felt the weight of Akashi's gaze on her. Both he and Shirogane-sensei had arrived by the team as well, but were just standing a little behind her without saying anything.  
  
At the sight of Akashi, Hayama had blinked and immediately looked down, shuffling a little. Mibuchi was gripping his water bottle more tightly than he did before, while Nebuya was having trouble opening another energy bar he had picked up. The other two first-stringers had paled. Riko inwardly frowned as she observed all this.  
  
Outwardly, she decided to continue, "They switched to a 2-3 zone defence because they realised that the man-to-man wouldn't work against you. All of you are individually better than they are, so that defence wouldn't be effective." Here, she paused to turn specifically to glare at Hayama. "With the 2-3 zone defence, they will have three players near the basket defending against your drives, Hayama-kun. With that, they decrease our offensive power," she turned to look at Mibuchi, "making us rely on outside shots instead, which have a lower probability of success."  
  
"What makes this strategy even more effective is that they can predict your drives, Hayama-kun. You're being too predictable." She glared at him again, and he scowled back at her, after glancing at Akashi from the corner of his eye. "And that point guard," she turned to narrow her eyes at Takao at the Shuutoku side, "he is very good at predicting where you will pass once your drives are stopped. He probably has an excellent court vision."  _He reminds me of Izuki._  
  
Shaking her head slightly to clear her mind of Seirin, she turned back to Hayama. "He makes this strategy even better by frustrating you, Hayama-kun." As Hayama blinked at her statement, Riko just continued, "He makes you even more hot-headed, and then you're even easier to read. It's a vicious cycle."  
  
"So what should we do, then, Riko-chan?" Nebuya asked, taking a bite from his energy bar which he finally opened.  
  
"I've already told you," Riko said. She turned to look at Mibuchi with a slight smile. "Even though the probability of outside shots are lower than inside ones, Mibuchi-kun is an excellent shooter." Mibuchi smiled at her with cheerful upturned eyes. Riko inwardly felt glad that the worry was now gone from his face. "All you need to do is attack on the outside more. Stop relying on Hayama-kun's shots. Once we start shooting on the outside, the defence will be pressured and they will start making mistakes. And then, the inside attacks can be mobilised."  
  
The players were beginning to look more determined and assured. Riko felt the usual happiness and satisfaction flood her as she saw this. This was why she wanted to coach.  
  
"Okay!" Hayama started to say. A grin was forming on his face again. "So all we gotta do is pass to Reo-nee now, righ-"  
  
"I have one more thing to add," Akashi interjected, his smooth voice still clear amidst the roars of the crowd. Everyone fell silent and looked at Akashi with slightly bowed heads. Riko looked at him from the corner of her eye as he took a step to stand next to her.  
  
"Everything Riko has said is correct. However, I also want you to exploit a weakness of Shuutoku's current strategy." His eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze became more steely as he looked at all of them. "Shut down Shuutoku's point guard. He is the linchpin of their strategy. Once you shut him down, Shuutoku will fall."  
  
He turned to the two Rakuzan first-stringers. "Both of you will be substituted by those two first-stringers." He gestured at two Rakuzan players who were stretching by the benches, and then continued, "We will review your performance after the match." He looked at Mibuchi, Nebuya and Hayama again. "All of your performances."  
  
Riko saw the feeling of pressure come over the three boys once again, merely from the way they shuffled slightly. She frowned at this; once again, she felt baffled by Akashi's motivating methods.  
  
The referee was calling both teams to start the game again, and she could see Midorima from the corner of her eye trying to fit in a last-minute lecture for Takao, but Takao was pretending not to listen as he called out, "What? Did you say something to me, Miyaji-senpai?"  
  
She heard the Rakuzan players around her start to bustle in preparation to get on the court, and so she quickly turned back to them and said, "Wait, there's another thing."  
  
Everyone turned to look at her again.  
  
"You won't win if you're not more motivated to win this," Riko said. "They are giving it more than their all against us, a definitely stronger team, so we should be doing it too." She could feel Akashi's eyes on her, measuring her, weighing her words.  
  
"Jeez, Riko,  _spirit_ won't let us win this match," Hayama scoffed at her, rolling his eyes. He jumped up from the bench, an arrogant smirk arising on his face. "Skill will. And we're better, so we'll win." As he walked onto the court to continue the game, the others got up too and followed him.  
  
But Riko was still relieved to see that there was fiery determination hidden deep within his eyes, despite his words. Smiling slightly, she turned to head back to the benches at the viewing area. As she made to walk, she felt Akashi's heavy gaze still on her; his gaze really had a tangible presence.  
  
"Wait, Riko-san."  
  
Blinking, Riko turned to look at Shirogane-sensei, who had called her. He was looking at her with an unreadable expression.  
  
"You should sit with me and the substitute players here on the benches. You may have something else to contribute later."  
  
Riko felt her eyes widen at his statement. Her heart was beating quickly at his words.  
  
"Okay, sensei!"  
  
But even as she walked with Shirogane-sensei towards the benches on the side of the court, she could feel Akashi still looking at her, his scrutinisation still pressing physically against her.  
  
___  
  
The second half commenced. Next to Shirogane-sensei, Riko was relieved to see Hayama playing with a confident smirk, as compared to his earlier stormy expression. It really didn't suit him.  
  
As per Riko's words, the Rakuzan point guard had started throwing passes towards Mibuchi. In order to give him the chance to shoot, Hayama had started screening the player nearest to him, exerting huge, intense pressure on the Shuutoku player. The two Rakuzan substitutes also screened Takao, as he tried to run towards Mibuchi to throw him off his form. Mibuchi made the shot, a beautiful, precise arc straight into the hoop. Three points to Rakuzan.  
  
The rest of the second half continued that way. With Mibuchi pressuring Shuutoku with accurate outside shots, Shuutoku was starting to fumble. They had messily switched back into man-to-man defence, in order to allow more mobility around the court and prevent Rakuzan's passes towards Mibuchi, but this only allowed Hayama to get in some inside shots as well. It was happening just as Riko predicted, and she pursed her lips in grim satisfaction.  
  
By the fourth quarter, Rakuzan was already nearly even with Shuutoku's score, and Shuutoku tried to switch into an offensive strategy instead. Riko glanced at Shuutoku's coach. It seemed as though he had given up on defending against Rakuzan; it was clear that the Rakuzan offensive power was just too strong for Shuutoku's defence, and he wanted to turn it into a scoring battle instead.  
  
Midorima had stood up from where he had been sitting on the benches by the side of the court, and he was clutching his lipstick tightly, a frown marring his face. Despite how much he would hope, Riko knew that it would be Rakuzan's win now.  
  
When the match ended, Rakuzan had won, 85 to 72. While Shuutoku's offensive strategy was good, with Takao sending passes even Riko couldn't comprehend –  _he could be even better than Izuki_ – their offensive power just couldn't match Rakuzan's without Midorima there to help them. The Shuutoku shooting guard made a few inaccurate shots, and Nebuya was able to beat Otsubo on the rebounds. The outcome had been inevitable. She stood up to look at the teams as they bowed to each other.  
  
While the Shuutoku players were shaking their heads when they turned back towards the benches, and Takao was stuffing his fingers into his ears as Midorima approached him with a twitching eyebrow, the Rakuzan players just looked calm. No jubilance or happiness could be detected. Even Mibuchi and Hayama, who were normally so expressive, didn't change their expressions one bit.  
  
She walked up to them with a smile. "Good job, guys! That was really some excellent offensive plays."  
  
Hayama just shrugged at her. "Meh, it was kinda expected. We were pressured a little bit, but we were always gonna win anyway. We're just better." Riko looked at him, feeling her eyebrow twitch a little. What happened to all that anger just a few minutes ago?  
  
But she could see a little relief in his eyes when Akashi approached the team, to stand next to her. "We will have a performance review in the next practice session. For now, just do your stretches properly."  
  
He was about to say more, when they were called out by someone. "Akashi."  
  
Everyone turned to see Midorima striding towards them, Otsubo and Takao slightly behind him. Otsubo took a step forward, and held out a hand. "Good game earlier."  
  
Akashi looked at his hand, his eyes suddenly changing from its steeliness to smooth politeness. "Yes." He lightly grasped Otsubo's hand. "Thank you for coming all the way here for the match."  
  
Otsubo nodded, and then said, "I'm going to thank your coach as well. Excuse me." And he walked off towards Shirogane-sensei, who was talking to Shuutoku's coach. Riko could slightly overhear him saying, "Well, Ma-boy, I was expecting something better..." and Shuutoku's coach replying, "We won't be so easy to beat in an actual competition, Eiji..."  
  
Akashi's eyes had switched from politeness into their usual hardness when he looked at Midorima. "Shintarou," he said. "That was disappointing."  
  
Riko saw Takao flinch next to Midorima, while Midorima himself pushed up his spectacles with taped fingers, hiding his eyes. "Akashi." Then, he revealed his eyes, which were filled with determination and resolve. "We will win in an actual match. That's a guarantee."  
  
Akashi hummed quietly in response. Then, he turned sideways to look at Midorima at the corner of his eye. "I hope you will pose a better challenge next time." He continued turning to look at the Rakuzan players and said, "I will speak with you after Shuutoku leaves." And then he walked towards Otsubo and the coaches.  
  
Takao released a sigh in front of Riko. "Maan, what's  _with_ your former captain, Shin-chan? He's really..." and then he got stuck as he tried to think of a word and gestured uselessly.  
  
"You!" Hayama glared at Takao while pointing at him. "You really pissed me off earlier!"  
  
"Huuh...?" Takao said with a cheeky grin. "I don't know what you're talking about..."  
  
While Mibuchi tried to tell Hayama to be more polite as he continued spluttering indignantly at a grinning Takao, Riko turned to Midorima and said, "Midorima-kun, if it is okay with you, I would like to take a look at your shooting technique?" Midorima blinked as he looked at her. "I'm a Rakuzan assistant coach, but I was really looking forward to seeing you shoot today. So if you could please do me this favour?" she added with a smile.  
  
Midorima sniffed, and then pushed up his spectacles. "Certainly, although you can probably see it from several videos of my previous matches." He frowned slightly. "And my fingers are still taped."  
  
But sighing, he just picked up a basketball off the ground, and threw a basket from where he was standing right there.  
  
The ball flew into the hoop in an immaculate, faultless arc, and then bounced on the gym floor with a solid thud.  
  
____  
  
After the practice match with Shuutoku, the Rakuzan basketball club settled back into the humdrum of their usual practice schedules. Riko, however, suddenly experienced change. Shirogane-sensei had called her over the day after the practice match during a Rakuzan practice session, and told her to help the first string with their stamina drills, instead of the third string.  
  
Although she was surprised and gratified at this acknowledgement, she didn't want to leave the third string players. And so, despite Hayama's annoying whines and vice-like grip on her wrist as she tried to leave the first string to go to the third string gym halfway through one of the practice sessions, she shook him off to go to the third string gym. And this was when even Nebuya was genially telling her to just stay to shut Hayama up.  
  
But even as she went into a routine lull of splitting her time between the first and third strings, she couldn't shake Mayuzumi from her mind. She felt an intense need to find him and talk to him.  
  
So she spent her lunch breaks scouring the third year corridors trying to look for him, Hayama tagging along behind her like a puppy. But it was so difficult to find him, he was like a damn  _unicorn_. And it was difficult to concentrate with Hayama's constant questions behind her ("Who're you looking for, Riko? You're looking for a senpai, right? A  _guy_ senpai? Is he your boyfriend? Huh, Riko? Riko, listen to me!").  
  
It was more than a week after the practice match with Shuutoku and she was ready to give up on looking for him. And then, she  _finally_ found him.  
  
____  
  
He was sitting on the Rakuzan roof reading a light novel.  
  
Riko had shaken Hayama off only because he had suddenly told her to "just do whatever you want, I gotta go do something" as he rushed out of the classroom during lunch break. Riko had eagerly taken the opportunity to look around the third year corridors once more.  
  
But when she failed again to find him, she had wanted to scream in frustration. Remembering Seirin, and Hyuuga's declaration on the roof, she decided that she wanted to emulate him and went to the roof.  
  
And then she saw him. Just sitting there reading. It kind of irked her.  
  
"Mayuzumi-senpai!" She spat a little in her surprise.  
  
He nonchalantly looked up from his book and then just gave her a blank look. "Oh. It's you. Riko-san. Assistant coach."  
  
He just nodded at her, and turned back to his book.  
  
Riko rushed forward quickly, and sat down next to him. At her actions, he looked up from his book again.  
  
"Mayuzumi-senpai, I've been looking for you all this while!" She made no effort to hide her frustration. "I wanted to ask you something!" He frowned slightly at her desperation, but she ignored it. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Why did you quit the club?"  
  
At her question, his frown became more pronounced, but then a second later, it disappeared. He turned back to his book, and she could see he was trying to concentrate on it. But she plunged on, saying beseechingly, "I've been looking for you during every practice session. We were supposed to work hard together, remember?"  
  
He sighed at her question, and then looked up from his book at her again. "Riko-san, my decision to quit has nothing to do with you. It's my own choice." He frowned slightly again. "Why do you care so much, anyway? We only met during that  _one time_ _._ "  
  
Riko blinked. Frowning, she tried to put into words why she was so concerned about him. Flashes of memories and thoughts ran through her mind. Feelings of happiness when Mitobe mastered a defensive position. Of satisfaction when Koganei finally managed to dribble the ball comfortably. And pride when Tsuchida showed talent in his rebounds. It was too complicated to explain. She just needed him to play basketball again.  
  
"I just think you're...wasting your potential," she struggled to reply him.  
  
He sighed again, closing his eyes. "What potential are you talking about? We're in  _Rakuzan._ Potential is practically overflowing from every corner in this place."  
  
"But Mayuzumi-senpai, if you give up now, you can't even play basketball anymore."

He didn't say or do anything in response. He just turned back to his book, and flipped a page.

"Look, I'll show you, your effort isn't useless-"

Before Riko could continue what she was saying so emphatically, the door to the roof suddenly burst open and Hayama came in, followed by Mibuchi and Nebuya.  
  
And then  _Akashi_ strolled in.  
  
As Riko gaped at the intruders, Hayama shouted over her surprise, "Jeez, Riko, I finally found you! And it's only thanks to Eikichi's freaky ears over here." He jabbed a thumb at a grinning Nebuya, who was eating  _ramen_ of all things, holding the bowl up while standing next to Hayama. "He overheard your shrill voice as we were walking by the stairs," Hayama continued.  
  
"We want to ask you something!" Mibuchi gushed. "We're going to celebrate Ei-chan's birthday, which was just last week. And then Kotarou-chan had another wonderful idea." He delightedly elbowed Hayama, who smirked at Riko.  
  
"Let's celebrate your promotion as assistant coach to the first string as well," he said.  
  
"Isn't that just the  _best_  idea?" Mibuchi said. "Let's all go to dinner at a restaurant in the city centre later this evening. We'll take the bus there and everything."  
  
They were all looking at her with wide grins. Riko glanced at Akashi, who still looked inscrutable. But he was...looking at Mayuzumi. There was an unreadable look in his eyes. Was he...curious? Excited? Riko couldn't tell.  
  
"Um...I don't know if I have to be celebrated, but we can celebrate Nebuya-kun's birthday for sure..." Riko said uncertainly; she was distracted as she looked at Akashi.  
  
Hayama sighed exaggeratedly. "Oh, come on, Riko, it'll be awesome! We should celebrate your achievement too, you know how I've been so skeptical-"  
  
"Riko, who is he?"  
  
Akashi cut across Hayama to address Riko, but he was still looking at Mayuzumi.  
  
Mayuzumi, who had been frowning at all the commotion all that while, suddenly smoothened his expression. He pulled up the book, and turned to look at it, but he answered Akashi, "I'm your senpai. You're really too informal with me. You should be more polite."  
  
"He's Mayuzumi Chihiro," Riko interjected. "I trained him for a short while he was in the third string. But he recently quit."  
  
Mayuzumi turned to Riko and was about to say something to her, when Hayama interrupted, "Whoah, man, I didn't even realise you were there! Sorry!" Then he looked between him and Riko sitting next to each other. "Wait, why are you sitting together? Are you the guy? Are you  _the_  guy?"  
  
As Riko kneaded her eyebrows, Mibuchi said with a smile, "Mayuzumi-senpai, you should join us as well. It'll be a really fun dinner to celebrate Riko-chan's achievement." Nebuya nodded next to Mibuchi, and grinned at him although his mouth was full of ramen.  
  
Mayuzumi began to say, "I don't think I should join-"  
  
"Yes, do come along."  
  
Akashi's statement left no room for doubt or refusal. Mayuzumi had frowned again, and he opened his mouth to protest again, but then Akashi continued, "I want to talk with you for a bit."  
  
His gaze was penetrating; once again, Riko felt a pressure from it, she didn't think Mayuzumi would be able to refuse. Glancing next to her, she saw that he was sighing, and then he shut his book. He stood up, and started walking towards the stairs leading down from the roof.  
  
"Fine. I'll come."  
  
After smiling happily, Mibuchi called after him as he placed his hand on the railing of the stairs, "We're meeting at the main bus stop in the city centre at eight before heading to the restaurant together!" Mayuzumi paused, his back still facing them. "We all have practice until late in the evening, so just meet us there, from wherever you live in Kyoto," Mibuchi added.  
  
Mayuzumi just gave a single nod. And then he continued walking downstairs.  
  
While Mibuchi was talking with Hayama and Nebuya about their evening plans, Riko didn't hear their discussion because she was looking at Akashi with slightly narrowed eyes. He was still staring after Mayuzumi, and she still couldn't read the look in his eyes.  
  
All she knew was that it made her feel slightly uneasy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was so excited to write out the match and this scene, that this chapter came out earlier than I intended! :D I hope I wrote out the match well enough.


	6. Conversations in Central Kyoto

When Riko walked to the Rakuzan bus stop which held the route to the city centre, the four boys were already there waiting for her.  
  
Right after basketball practice she had rushed back to her dorm room, taken a quick shower and changed into a light, casual dress. The sun had already set, and the Rakuzan corridors were already illuminated by the cold fluorescent lights that Riko was beginning to get used to, making the buildings look large and imposing. The air still had the certain coldness and sterile disposition she associated distastefully with Rakuzan, but the soft spring winds blowing through the school grounds were soothing to her skin.  
  
As she strolled towards the bus stop, she waved towards Mibuchi who had spotted her first. He was dressed smartly in a dress shirt and simple slacks. Akashi, who stood a little behind the three boys, was also dressed in a well-fitted formal shirt and black denims. Nebuya and Hayama were both in hoodies and blue jeans.  
  
The moment Hayama saw her, he clutched his heart. "Is that  _you_ in a  _dress_? A  _dress_? You, Riko...and a  _dress_?  _D_ _ress..._ and  _Riko_?"  
  
Mibuchi irritatedly whacked Hayama at the back of his head, and Nebuya kicked him. Mibuchi turned to Riko and with a cheerful smile, said, "You look very pretty, Riko-chan!" Nebuya nodded at this statement while directing a wide grin at Riko, as he opened a packet of rice crackers.  
  
"Thanks," Riko replied, but her eyebrow still twitched when she heard Hayama mutter under his breath as he rubbed his head, "She's always so violent it's a difficult concept to comprehend..."  
  
She took a quick glance at Akashi, but he didn't appear to be paying any attention to her, or the three boys. He was looking at the road ahead. The wind was slightly ruffling his hair, but he still looked impeccable and composed like he usually did.  
  
"Look, Riko-chan dressed up as well," Mibuchi was complaining to Nebuya and Hayama. "Why did both of you wear such ugly hoodies?"  
  
"I honestly don't care," Hayama replied with a shrug.  
  
"Yeah, it's no big deal," Nebuya agreed, as he crunched the rice crackers.  
  
"It's  _your_  birthday celebration!" Mibuchi exclaimed. "And stop talking while eating. And  _why_  are you even eating? We'll be at the restaurant in less than an hour!"  
  
While Nebuya genially fended off Mibuchi's complaints, Hayama cackling with laughter in the background, Riko moved towards Akashi. He turned to her when she approached.  
  
"I didn't expect you to come along to something like this," Riko said to him with a well-practised polite smile, as she stopped in front of him. "I thought you'd be busy with something else."  
  
Akashi looked at her for a moment, as though weighing her words. Then he said, "It isn't usual for me to attend events like this, no." He crossed his arms, his smooth shirt sleeves crinkling in a delicate fashion. "But in this case, it was necessary for me to attend."  
  
Riko raised her eyebrows at his statement. "Really? Why is that?"  
  
There was a short moment of silence, during which Riko heard the rustle of every leaf as the wind blew through the trees around them, before he replied. "You were useful in the practice match with Shuutoku. I think this somewhat calls for a small celebration."  
  
Riko blinked at his words. Was he...trying to tell her that she gained his acknowledgement? Riko immediately started to feel her heart beating, the sound ringing in her ears.  
  
"You were more...interesting than I expected." Akashi continued, his eyes looking at the ground. "This slightly surprised me." Then, he turned his face to look at her directly in the eye. "However, you made some very unnecessary statements and conducted inessential actions. These flaws have to be remedied."  
  
'Unnecessary'? 'Inessential'? What was he talking about?  
  
Riko couldn't tear her eyes away from his, even as she felt the familiar mounting pressure once more. She distantly heard the sounds of an engine and wheels on the road, even though it was only the bus coming to stop in front of them from only a few metres away.  
  
"Please don't be mistaken." Akashi turned away from her ( _she felt as though she was pulled along with him as he turned_ ) and made to walk onto the bus, looking at her from the corner of his eye. "Yes, I found you useful during the match." He looked away from her and took a step onto the bus. "But it is still _only_ a practice match. The true test would be in an actual competition."  
  
He paused from where he stood on the bus.  
  
"I wonder how interesting you would be during one."  
  
Riko could only continue looking at him from where she stood, even as he disappeared inside the bus, and Mibuchi was grabbing her hand to help her onto it. She was feeling her heart pound within her, the sound was deafening her ears. What was it about him that always made her feel so trapped and powerless? She couldn't even bring herself to reply him.  
  
She felt her pride stir within her. She felt enraged at his words. She felt that his words made so much sense. She felt confused about him.  
  
But she still couldn't speak a word to express all this tumultuousness.  
  
____

  
  
Throughout the entire bus journey, Riko glared daggers into the back of Akashi's faultless red hair. Hayama was next to her, waving his hands in front of her face, and pulling funny faces to get her to pay attention to him. He shouted vulgar words into her ears and even flicked up her skirt and pulled her hair. But even as she handled all his antics with her usual weariness, she couldn't stop glowering at Akashi.  
  
Because she was still trying to sort out his words in her head, and the emotions they incited within her.  
  
When they arrived at the bus stop in the city centre, Mayuzumi was already waiting for them, also in a hoodie and jeans. His hands were in the pockets of his hoodie and he was frowning slightly at the ground, although the wind ruffling his hair obscured his eyebrows a little. The frown became even more pronounced as he spotted them, Nebuya waving good-naturedly at him, but it immediately disappeared when they approached him.  
  
They started to make a move for the restaurant, Mibuchi, right in front, leading the pack while holding a map, Mayuzumi and Akashi behind him, and Nebuya, Hayama and Riko behind them. The moment Mibuchi cheerfully told them all to follow him, Akashi had moved towards Mayuzumi and spoken a few soft words. They both had turned to follow Mibuchi, and fell in line next to each other to have their quiet conversation.  
  
When Riko saw this, Akashi's previous words to her flew out of her head, and she immediately felt an intense curiosity to listen in. She had a gut feeling it had something to do with Akashi's mysterious look when he had first seen Mayuzumi, and her unexplainable concern for Mayuzumi was urging her to find out more.  
  
___  
  
  
Mayuzumi glanced at the redhead next to him with slightly narrowed eyes. He ignored all the traffic around him and the noisy sounds of conversations in the air as they passed by street vendors, restaurants and shops, that were all busy on a typical evening in central Kyoto.  
  
He just couldn't get a sense of this guy. He was so polished, his features arranged themselves into expressions that were too perfect on his face, and his words were too charismatic, too polite. And he kept getting a feeling that despite his politeness, the guy didn't think anything of the fact that Mayuzumi was two years older than him.  
  
It really confused him. And kind of irked him too.  
  
"So you're Mayuzumi Chihiro," Akashi began to say, his tone even and polite. "You were in the third string of the basketball club until recently, were you?"  
  
"Yeah," Mayuzumi said, putting his hands into his pockets, and trying to ignore his immediate instinct to defer to Akashi.  _He_ was the older one, dammit. "But I quit because it's useless to continue. With all you guys there."  
  
Akashi hummed in response. For a short while, Mayuzumi could only hear the honking sounds of the cars on the road next to them.  
  
"So you enjoy reading?"  
  
Mayuzumi blinked at the sudden change in subject. He exhaled loudly, and lifted a hand to run it through his hair. "Yeah, kinda. Mostly light novels though. They're really relaxing and fun to read."  
  
"Huh."  
  
Mayuzumi faltered in his steps a little. Glaring slightly at Akashi next to him, he said, "Stop judging me-"  
  
"You really remind me of someone I know."  
  
"What?"  
  
Mayuzumi felt himself frown at Akashi even more in his perplexity. The sounds of the cars honking became even louder around him. He had thought Akashi was trying to measure his character. Man, this was seriously confusing.  
  
But before he could try to ask him what the hell he was going on about, Akashi had turned his head fully to look at Mayuzumi in the eye.  
  
"The phantom sixth man of Teikou."  
  
Mayuzumi felt his eyes widen, a feeling of mounting surprise sweeping over him at the statement.  
  
___  
  
  
"So who do you think is more powerful, Naruto with his Sage Mode and Nine Tails, or the Eight Tails  _jinchuuriki_ Killer B?" Hayama was saying cheerfully next to Riko.  
  
She was in between Hayama and Nebuya, and they were strolling relaxedly behind the group, Nebuya munching on his fifth rice cracker, and Hayama with his hands casually behind his head. Only Riko wasn't so easygoing, as she was trying to strain her ears to eavesdrop on Akashi and Mayuzumi's conversation, amidst all the bustling sounds of central Kyoto.  
  
"Who's more powerful? It's gotta be Killer B," Nebuya replied. He lifted his rice cracker to emphasise a point. "That guy is  _awesome._ "  
  
Hayama's arms immediately fell from the back of his head. "What! No way!" He leaned over Riko's head to glare into Nebuya's face. "It's gotta be Naruto! He has the  _nine tails. Nine._ " Hayama crossed his arms smugly. "That's more than eight for sure."  
  
Nebuya lifted the rice cracker again. "Ahhh..." he said sagely. "But Killer B has  _muscles._ " He bit off the rice cracker. "End of discussion."  
  
"That's stupid! How can muscles be a thing?" Hayama exploded. He looked down at Riko next to him and elbowed her. "Hey, Riko, which one of us do you think is right?"  
  
Riko, who was distractedly trying to listen in to the conversation of the two boys in  _front_  of her, just said, "I don't know. You're right, Hayama-kun. It's Naruto."  
  
At her statement, Hayama yelled out, "Hah!", just as Nebuya grumpily said, "Whaat...?" As Hayama pumped a fist in the air, Nebuya elbowed Riko and said, "Riko-chan,  _muscles._ Nothing can beat it. Just...muscles."  
  
Riko said impatiently, "Okay, sure, it's Killer B then."  
  
"Hey!" Hayama shouted as Nebuya grinned widely. Hayama stopped in his strides to grab Riko's shoulders and then said, "Riko, listen to me very carefully..."  
  
Riko, feeling herself suddenly stop in the middle of the street, when she was trying so hard to listen to the conversation in front of her, immediately growled at Hayama, "Let me go, Hayama-kun." And then she quickly shook off his hands from her shoulders and rushed forward towards Mayuzumi and Akashi. She had seen Mayuzumi falter in his steps a little.  
  
She could hear Hayama's muttered whine of "See, I told you, violent..." to Nebuya, but just ignored it. She quickly walked to Mayuzumi's side, and just as she overheard the word "Teikou" from Akashi, she grabbed a light novel from the stand of the convenience store they were walking past and quickly nudged Mayuzumi.  
  
"Look, Mayuzumi-senpai, this looks like something you would enjoy."  
  
Both Mayuzumi and Akashi turned to look at Riko, who had suddenly appeared next to them. Mayuzumi blinked at the sight of her, but Riko caught Akashi frown slightly for a moment before his face smoothened into its usual tranquility after only a second.  
  
"Thanks, Riko-san, but I've already read this one..." Mayuzumi told Riko, a slight dazedness evident in his tone.  
  
"Oh, never mind then," Riko replied him, and unceremoniously chucked the novel back onto the stand. She turned to look at the pair with a bright smile. "So, what are you both talking about?"  
  
Mayuzumi scratched his head and started to say something, but Akashi interrupted him, "It looks as though Reo has arrived at our destination."  
  
He wasn't looking at Riko or Mayuzumi, but towards Mibuchi, who was waving at them merrily just a little ahead, and pointing at the restaurant next to him.  
  
Riko just sighed as she followed them into the restaurant. She would have to find out what they were talking about later.  
  
____  
  
  
Riko sighed again in her seat at the restaurant. She picked up her glass of water and drank it, with the hopes that it would drown the uneasy feeling she still felt pressing against her throat.  
  
To her great consternation, she was seated in between Hayama and Nebuya. She had hoped to be seated next to Mayuzumi, but he was instead diagonally opposite her. He was next to Akashi, who was directly opposite her, and next to Akashi was Mibuchi.  
  
Wonderful. She would be staring into Akashi's eyes throughout the entire meal.  
  
She poked at her salad disinterestedly. She had been trying to join in Mayuzumi and Akashi's conversation throughout the dinner, but they weren't talking about anything important. But she could tell something important did happen earlier, because Mayuzumi seemed slightly distracted, like he was thinking of something else even as he answered Akashi that "yes, his black sesame soba noodles were very delicious, thank you". She felt irrationally worried about him. It was compounding the uneasiness.  
  
And then Hayama started to be his usual annoying self.  
  
"So,  _Mayuzumi Chihiro._ " Hayama narrowed his eyes at Mayuzumi. "You played basketball, didn't you?" At Mayuzumi's curt nod, Hayama continued, "So why'd you quit then?" He suddenly smiled slyly. "Couldn't handle the pressure of Rakuzan's basketball?"  
  
As Riko kneaded her eyebrows, she saw Mayuzumi hide a sigh, and then he said, "Well, I guess you could say that. With you guys there, there really isn't any use for me to continue."  
  
At this, Hayama's grin broadened. He lounged languidly in his chair, and said, "Yeaah, we're  _really_ good. Rakuzan has no room for anyone lesser than we are." His eyes narrowed slightly, making his grin look even more wily. "People like that really should just leave the club on their own, like you did. I guess I should  _at least_ commend you for that."  
  
Mayuzumi didn't say anything in response. He looked away from Hayama, and rearranged the chopsticks on his table unnecessarily.  
  
Seeing this, Riko's eyes narrowed. She elbowed Hayama, who yelped and flew out of his carefree posture immediately. " _What_ are you saying?" she hissed at him. As Hayama rubbed the part where she elbowed him with a disgruntled pout, she continued more loudly, "Hayama-kun, I think you're mistaken. Even the weakest players I'm coaching in the third string are all improving very well." She turned towards Mayuzumi with a smile. "I think some of them may soon be promoted to second string, and may even play in matches soon."  
  
"There wasn't anything wrong with Kotarou's statement."  
  
Riko's eyes widened, and she quickly turned to look at Akashi. He was looking at her, his gaze penetrating and piercing. "Rakuzan has a standard to uphold. Anyone who cannot meet that standard should be discarded immediately," he continued.  
  
Riko felt defiance swell within her as she stared into Akashi's eyes, meeting his permeating gaze. "Well, Akashi-kun, 'discarded' is a very strong word to use. We are all just high school students who love playing basketball after all." She struggled to control her tone, to keep it lighthearted. "So I think everyone should get to play basketball in the club, regardless of their skill level."  
  
Riko could feel every contour of her glass perfectly; she was gripping it tightly as she tried to control her anger.  
  
Akashi's eyes narrowed slightly. "Skill level is of utmost importance when one trains in basketball. A weak player is a weak link. A weak link brings down the whole team." Riko could feel heaviness descend on the group, but she couldn't be bothered with it, because she was feeling anger rise inside her instead.  
  
"And a weak team is an automatic forfeit." His gaze became even more steely as it penetrated into Riko's being. She felt her pride and defiance wrestle with its piercing pressure; it was threatening to overwhelm her inside. "Victory is the only reason for Rakuzan's basketball. It is part of Rakuzan's identity." He turned towards his plate, and using his chopsticks, picked up the shells in his shrimp dish and placed them at the side of his plate.  
  
"Therefore, like it is in a tumour, cancerous cells have to be eliminated to prevent the spread of the disease." He turned to look at Riko again. Once more, she immediately felt a wave of immense pressure just from his one look. "Certain sacrifices have to be made to guarantee victory."  
  
Riko was gritting her teeth, feeling her pride struggle to rise against the pressure against her. She replied him semi-lightheartedly, with a stiff smile, "Please, Akashi-kun, 'cancer'? 'Sacrifice'? We're talking about high school basketball, aren't we?" She forced a carefree laugh. "It's a  _game._ We're all  _people._ The reason we're all here together is because we met through our similar love for basketball."  
  
Riko was about to continue ( _her teeth were beginning to hurt..she was speaking through such tightly gritted teeth_ ) when Mibuchi suddenly said, "Oh dear! I've run out of water!" He turned towards Hayama with panic in his eyes. "Kotarou-chan, could you please help me call the waiter?"  
  
He was met with silence, because Hayama was still looking between Riko and Akashi with wide eyes. Nebuya was doing the same, a grain of rice from a piece of sushi stuck on his cheek, and his mouth hanging open slightly despite the half-chewed remains.  
  
Then Hayama suddenly yelped and rubbed his shin. Mibuchi opposite him had kicked him, a forced cheerful smile still on his face.  
  
"Er...yeah!" Hayama turned around in his seat and gestured for the waiter. "Um, waiter! We need you!"  
  
Mayuzumi stood up just as the waiter came to their table. "I'm going to the restroom," he mumbled, and turned to walk towards it. Riko immediately tore her eyes away from Akashi – they were still looking at each other when Mibuchi interrupted – to look at Mayuzumi. But he had turned around already, so she couldn't read the emotion in his body language.  
  
Akashi, after giving Riko a steady look, stood up too. "I have to head there too." He turned to Mibuchi and said, "Please call for the bill to arrive when I return." And then he walked towards the restroom.  
  
As Riko looked at his retreating back, she felt dismay rise inside her. After  _that '_ conversation' between her and Akashi, she didn't want Mayuzumi to be alone with Akashi somehow. The worry for him, that had disappeared in her rising anger towards Akashi, came back in full force.  
  
And then Hayama nudged her shoulder and said, "Hey, Riko, can you do me a favour?" She turned to see Hayama with a beseeching look and hands clasped in front of his face. "I kinda...don't have enough money. Can you pay for me?"  
  
Riko blinked at his question. Mibuchi kicked Hayama again, while saying, "Kotarou-chan! That is not gentlemanly of you!"  
  
"Whaat? Akashi's paying for her anyway! She has the extra money!" Hayama whined while rubbing his shin again. "I just didn't know we were going to such an expensive restaurant," he mumbled.  
  
At Hayama's words, Riko became even more shocked. "A-Akashi-kun's doing what?" she stammered at Hayama, but he was still rubbing his shin. She turned with wide eyes towards Mibuchi and Nebuya.  
  
"Er..." Nebuya said. "Whhren Godar-"  
  
"When Kotarou-chan suggested to celebrate your promotion along with Ei-chan's birthday," Mibuchi cut across Nebuya, who had been trying to talk with his mouth full. "Sei-chan agreed and told us that he would pay for your meal."  
  
Riko gaped at this statement. She turned quickly to look at the male restroom, at Akashi's direction. Both of them still hadn't come out.  
  
Her mind raced with this new piece of information. She felt confused all over again. The conversation she had with Akashi at the Rakuzan bus stop flashed through her mind. She felt like groaning and putting her head into her hands. She just didn't understand this boy at all!  
  
And then she blinked and looked at the restroom again. She would just have to shelve this for now. Mayuzumi was more important. She quickly turned back to Hayama and said, "Hayama-kun, I'll pay for your dinner."  
  
Hayama immediately perked up. "Really? Yahoo!" He jubilantly punched the air. "Problem solved!"  
  
"But you have to help do a favour for me," Riko said quickly.  
  
At her words, Hayama stopped punching the air and quirked an eyebrow quizzically.  
  
"Please go into the restroom and tell me what Akashi-kun is saying to Mayuzumi-senpai."  
  
Both of Hayama's eyebrows immediately raised high into his forehead. He backtracked quickly, "Whoah, whoah, you want me to  _spy_ on Akashi?" He looked at her with wide eyes. "Riko..."  
  
Mibuchi also turned to look at her with wide eyes of his own. "Riko-chan, that's really..." He trailed off.  
  
"I know," Riko said quickly. "But I just have this  _feeling._ I need to know what he's saying to him."  
  
Hayama and Mibuchi looked at each other uncertainly.  
  
"Can't you just trust Akashi?" Hayama tried to persuade Riko. "He never does anything unnecessarily. There's always a valid reason for anything he does."  
  
"I know," Riko said again. She sighed loudly, and turned away from him to look at her plate instead. "I'm just...this is something I really need to know."  _I'm worried for Mayuzumi-senpai._  
  
Hayama exchanged a look with Mibuchi again. Nebuya was frowning slightly as he silently listened to the conversation, his sushi even forgotten.  
  
"Fine."  
  
Riko quickly turned to look at Hayama. He stood up, scratching the back of his head, and moved to walk towards the male restroom.  
  
"Kotarou-chan!" Mibuchi exclaimed, and at the same time, Nebuya said, "Kotarou!"  
  
"Stop it, guys!" Hayama growled bad-temperedly. He shoved his hands into his pockets and started walking. "Riko's like that too."  
  
Riko frowned in confusion. What did he mean? But the moment he said that, both Mibuchi and Nebuya had fallen silent. Nebuya turned back to his food and shoved more pieces of sushi into his mouth, looking conflicted.  
  
"Thanks, Hayama-kun," Riko called at his back, but Hayama just waved a hand without turning back.  
  
Now all she could do was wait.  
  
____

When the three boys came back from the restroom, she looked at Hayama to gauge his reaction but he didn't give her any signal. So she tried to gauge Akashi and Mayuzumi instead, but Akashi was just unreadably dignified as usual, and Mayuzumi was like a blank slate. They returned to their seats to finish their drinks, and then just a short while later, the waiter came with the bill. 

As they left the restaurant, Riko observed Mayuzumi carefully, but he didn't look any different from usual. He just looked a little lost in thought, but that was normal for him. Riko had never met any boy who looked like he thought so much about things, apart from maybe Akashi.  
  
They stood outside the restaurant before parting ways, Riko still scrutinising Mayuzumi closely. Mayuzumi walked up to Nebuya and clapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Happy birthday."  
  
Nebuya just nodded and grinned at him.  
  
Mayuzumi turned to look at Riko. She stared earnestly into his eyes, trying to see if he was alright. But he only gave her a meditative look, and she couldn't read the emotion behind it. And then, he held out a hand.  
  
"Congratulations on your promotion."  
  
Riko blinked at his action; she had been concentrating on deciphering his look. She smiled, and clasped his hand.  
  
"Thanks, but it really isn't anything to celebrate."  
  
Mayuzumi frowned slightly at her statement, but it disappeared as he shook her hand. He then turned to look at everyone, and said, "Thanks for inviting me tonight. I'll see you guys in school." He turned around to walk away, his hands in his pockets, but before he did so, he looked at Akashi, who had also been observing him as closely as Riko had been doing. They exchanged a look that Riko didn't understand, and then Mayuzumi left.  
  
Nebuya stretched and yawned, "Well, I gotta head off too. See you guys tomorrow, and thanks for tonight!" Then he stepped forwards to ruffle Riko's head, saying, "Congratulations to you too, Riko-chan."  
  
While Riko swatted away his hand in annoyance and tried to rearrange her hair, he fist-bumped Hayama and Mibuchi, and nodded at Akashi. Then he left whistling.  
  
Meanwhile, after Nebuya left, Akashi had just turned around and was about to walk off when Riko called out to him, "Wait, Akashi-kun."  
  
He paused in his movement, his back still facing her.  
  
Riko took a deep breath, and then said, "Thank you for paying for my dinner tonight. I...appreciate it."  
  
There was a long moment when she was just looking at his back, and he didn't do or say anything. The wind ruffled his hair once again, and Riko could hear the honking of the cars next to them and the screeches of the tires as the cars braked forcefully.  
  
Then, he nodded once, and just continued walking.  
  
____  
  
"So, did you hear what he said?" Riko asked Hayama eagerly.  
  
She, Mibuchi and Hayama had walked back to the bus stop and were now waiting for their bus back to Rakuzan, the only three who lived in the dorms. Riko had been itching to ask Hayama this question throughout the entire journey, but she wanted to wait until they were in a relatively quiet place and she could listen to Hayama without interruption.  
  
At her question, both Mibuchi and Hayama sighed. Hayama thrusted his hands into his pockets, and then said, "Yeah, but it really wasn't anything important."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Yeah," grumbled Hayama again. "That Mayuzumi guy was just talking about some basic basketball techniques when I came in. It didn't sound like anything significant at all."  
  
Riko blinked at that. She frowned in thought. Were her instincts off? She had been certain that Mayuzumi and Akashi had been having an important discussion.  
  
"Now will you just drop it about Akashi already?" Hayama interrupted her thoughts. "He's our captain. You can trust him." He grumpily kicked a stone on the ground.  
  
Mibuchi smiled kindly at her. "Sei-chan might be hard to read, but he always does what's best for Rakuzan and the team."  
  
As Riko fell silent at their words, the bus arrived at their stop and screeched in front of them. Riko stepped onto the bus, still pondering deeply about Akashi. When she took a slow step up the bus, Hayama behind her said impatiently, "Come  _on,_ Riko!", and then he flipped the skirt of her dress up.  
  
Throughout the entire bus journey back to Rakuzan, Hayama sat sulkily behind a huffy Mibuchi and a growling Riko, sporting two huge bumps on his head.  
  
____  
  
Despite her initial reservations, Riko cautiously took Hayama's advice and decided to forget about Akashi's mysterious look, and Mayuzumi's thoughtfulness and distractedness during the dinner for the mean time. For the next few days, she settled into a routine of school, swatting Hayama's hand away; basketball practice, ignoring Hayama's constant kicking; phone conversations with Hyuuga, and  _trying to control her anger at Hayama's new habit of throwing crumpled paper balls at her head._  
  
Her life at Rakuzan was honestly so emotionally and energetically draining that her worry for Mayuzumi eventually got shelved into a corner in her mind while she dealt with a new Hayama irritation, or fought for metaphorical air every time she recommended a new training routine for the first string to Akashi. They had reached an unspoken mutual agreement to be civil to one another, even as the tense dinner conversation that night kept popping up in Riko's mind every time she looked into his suffocating dichromatic gaze. Their views were at an impasse, and Riko felt as though it could explode at any time. It was exhausting.  
  
Several days after the dinner, Riko was internally celebrating the end of another school day. There wasn't any basketball practice that day so she was looking forward to an evening of pure relaxation. As she shouldered her bag and bid Hayama a cheerful farewell ("You smiling at me is  _really creepy,_ Riko"), she walked out of her classroom with a spring in her step, humming lightheartedly to herself.  
  
She was really looking forward to the wonderful Rakuzan showers.  
  
She walked out of the school building towards the female dorms, still smiling to herself. But just as she was appreciating the setting sun's rays hitting the swanky Rakuzan buildings ( _they even make the buildings look somewhat pretty_ ), she was suddenly called out by a familiar voice.  
  
____  
  
Mayuzumi had been deep in thought for the past several days.  
  
Ever since the strange conversation he had with Akashi that night in the men's restroom, of all places, he had been tossing and turning in his bed, unable to sleep properly. Akashi's words burrowed deep into his mind, into his heart, into all his former dreams and hopes. That boy was seriously strange; his words had a quality that drilled into Mayuzumi's whole being and wouldn't leave him alone.  
  
But that  _offer._  
  
Sitting at his school desk, Mayuzumi sighed deeply. His classmates around him gave him a look but Mayuzumi couldn't care less. It wasn't like they even bothered with him on a daily basis. He had far bigger things to worry about. Bigger decisions to make.  
  
He was completely distracted as he mulled over Akashi's words throughout the entire lesson, and so when the bell signalled the end of the school day, he continued sitting at his desk until he realised he was one of the only ones left in the classroom. Sighing again, he picked up his bag, and walked languidly out of the classroom, shoving his other hand into his pocket.  
  
What he really needed was a proper talk with someone who could understand where he was coming from. And with someone who was familiar with Rakuzan itself.  
  
As though the fates were listening to his thoughts, he looked up from the ground as he walked through the Rakuzan corridors towards the school exit and saw her. The person he needed.  
  
Aida Riko. The assistant coach who was also a high schooler.  
  
She was smiling really creepily. What was there to be so happy about.  
  
Frowning to himself, he stopped walking to ponder the issue. To be honest, Mayuzumi thought she was really weird. She was too concerned about him, a boy she barely knew. She was too naive too, especially for someone who was part of Rakuzan's basketball team, and one of the assistant coaches no less. She had to know about Rakuzan's standards and methods.  
  
But if it was a choice between her and those Uncrowned Kings...  
  
Mayuzumi felt the frown on his face deepen as Hayama's, Mibuchi's and Nebuya's faces flashed in his mind. Shaking his head slightly to clear the images and the jealousy he immediately felt of them, he schooled his expression into its usual blankness and called out to her just as she was walking away from him.  
  
"Aida Riko-san."  
  
Riko turned to face Mayuzumi's call and her eyes immediately widened in her surprise when she saw that it was him. Mayuzumi saw a hint of worry flood into her eyes. There she goes again, unnecessarily feeling concern for him. She was seriously weird.  
  
"Mayuzumi-senpai, hello," Riko said. She shuffled a little, eyebrows furrowing. "How...are you?"  
  
"...I'm fine."  
  
Mayuzumi frowned inwardly. So she  _was_  under the impression that he had some sort of problem. Well, she wasn't completely off the mark. Maybe she  _would_ be the right person to have this talk. Even if she was practically a complete stranger.  
  
Ignoring the alarm bells in his head, he rearranged his bag on his shoulder, and then just said, "Hey, do you have a second?"  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him quizzically.  
  
"I want to talk with you," he continued. Her words to Akashi during the dinner were going through his mind now, silencing the alarm bells. "It'll only take a short moment."  
  
He turned towards the school exit and started walking towards it, expecting her to follow. Turning his head slightly to look at her from the corner of his eye, he said, "Come on, I'll treat you to an ice lolly."  
  
Riko's eyes widened at his statement and she gaped at his retreating back. But as he paused to look at her again, she hastened to follow him.  
  
Mayuzumi ignored her bumping slightly into him when she fell by his side and they walked out of the school grounds together.  
  
 _"It's a game. We're all people."_  
  
Yes, perhaps Aida Riko could help him through his current dilemma.


	7. Emotional Undulations

Riko sat next to Mayuzumi, licking her fruit-flavoured ice lolly, and periodically glancing at him from the corner of her eye.  
  
They were sitting on a bench in a nearby park, not too far from the bus stop which led to central Kyoto. After she followed Mayuzumi out of the school grounds, they had gone into a convenience store and Mayuzumi had nonchalantly bought them both ice lollies. They moved to the park after that in silence, the distant sounds of car engines and schoolchildren laughing filling the air. Riko felt unnecessarily awkward when she made a loud crackling sound as she opened the wrapper of her ice lolly.  
  
Mayuzumi was just such a quiet person.  
  
Sitting next to him and trying not to make a sound as she licked her ice lolly, Riko only felt the awkwardness compound. She looked at Mayuzumi again. How could he lick the snack so serenely and so quietly? Riko could barely handle the ice lolly as it melted in her hands and dripped down her hands and wrists. She hoped he didn't notice what a messy eater she was.  
  
Still, despite the awkwardness, Riko felt relieved at the silence. After weeks of dealing with Hayama all the time, both during school and during practice, she was grateful to finally be around someone who didn't insist on arguing with her if it was better to show an obscene gesture with only one hand or with both hands. The stillness was peaceful, and Riko felt that she was still getting the relaxing evening she wanted.  
  
Mayuzumi finished his ice lolly first. He crumpled his wrapper, then took her wrapper along with his to stuff into his pocket. Riko blinked at this simple polite gesture he performed for her, and then immediately frowned at herself. She really had been spending too much time with Hayama if such a simple action nearly made her tear up in gratitude.  
  
He stood up, walked towards a fence opposite their bench, and then turned back to her. He thrust his hands into his pockets, and leaned against the fence. Then, he gave her a meditative look, the same look he had given her during that night.  
  
Riko hoped he couldn't hear her swallow the ice lolly as he stared at her.  
  
There were several seconds when Riko really thought she could hear crickets chirping as he just looked at her for a while. It was so quiet in the park, she wasn't surprised if they could really hear the insect sounds.  
  
Then, he let out a quiet breath, and said, "So. Riko-san. You've been with the Rakuzan basketball team for quite a while already, right?"  
  
Riko cleared her throat before saying, "You could say that. Not as long as you, though." She smiled at him.  _When you were still part of the team._  
  
He just nodded, and then took another breath. "But I assume you're familiar with the Rakuzan way?"  
  
At his words, the memory of Akashi bullying the first-stringer during her first practice session emerged in Riko's mind. She quickly banished it forcefully, and then said curtly, "Of course." Then, she continued with a hardness in her tone, "I disagree with it."  
  
Mayuzumi raised his eyebrows at her statement. "Even if you disagree with it, there's not much you can do about it, right? You're just one assistant coach, in a place full of people who all have the Rakuzan mindset."  
  
Riko bit off her melting ice lolly forcefully and crunched it in her mouth, frowning all the while. After swallowing it, she said, "I'm still not going to agree with it. I'm going to coach the way I always coach." She took a deep breath. "By supporting players who love the game, and who would do their very best to win in matches  _because_ they love it so much."  
  
As she said these words, the image of Kiyoshi's determined face, and his strength under the net materialised in her mind. Hyuuga's faith in his teammates too, and the dependable arcs of his three-pointers. The images of her beloved Seirin jumbled and blurred into one another in her mind.  
  
But as Mayuzumi continued, the images suddenly faded away, "That is  _seriously_ naive of you. Sheesh..." She watched him with slightly widened eyes as he scratched his head with a slight frown.  
  
Then, he turned his face to look her directly in her eyes, still with a frown. Riko felt slightly taken aback; the look in his eyes reminded her of Hyuuga somehow.  
  
"Look, I'm just gonna say this, Riko-san." There was a short pause, during which he took a deep breath. "I played basketball because it made me happy."  
  
At his statement, Riko's eyes widened even more in happiness. "That's wonderful! So you should join it agai-"  
  
"But it's pointless if I can't play in a match. There won't be any meaning." Mayuzumi continued over her. He sighed deeply, and took a hand out of his pocket to run it through his hair. "I'll be practising, day after day, and there won't be any results to show for it. There won't be any matches for me to test my skill."  
  
Riko was starting to be more solemn. She looked away from him, towards the ground instead.  
  
"I won't get to experience the thrill of winning, or even the bittersweet sadness of a loss. Basketball lost its meaning to me, and Rakuzan wouldn't even have anything to do with it." He smiled bitterly. "Well, actually, maybe it does. The whole meritocracy thing. Can't say I disagree with it."  
  
As she listened to him, Riko was reminded of Hyuuga's bitterness, of his jealousy towards Kiyoshi, before he discovered his own basketball. She was reminded of Kiyoshi's kindness; she would forever be grateful to him for bringing Hyuuga back to basketball. She immediately felt an intense need to do the same for Mayuzumi. She quickly turned her head up to look at him with beseeching eyes.  
  
Mayuzumi had schooled his expression into one of blankness, but when she looked up to peer at him, Riko could still see something that reminded her of Hyuuga's determination in his eyes, and that stilled her tongue. "But I can't just blame it on others. I have to take responsibility of the fact that it was also my lack of talent."  
  
 _What._ At his words, Riko stood up from the bench, her hands going into fists, gripping her ice lolly stick. "I  _told_ you, talent and skill has nothing to do with it. Basketball is a game, you should still play it if you enjoy it."  
  
Mayuzumi frowned at her again. "Jeez, there you go being so naive again." He put his hand into his pocket again, from where it was previously buried in his hair. "I've made my peace with it."  
  
"But Mayuzumi-senpai-"  
  
"Anyway," Mayuzumi continued loudly, talking over her. "I'm not telling you all that to get into an argument with you, Riko-san. I'm telling you that because out of everyone in Rakuzan, you seem to understand where I'm coming from."  
  
Riko bristled slightly at his interruption. "Well,  _of course,_ I love basketball too. Everyone who joins a basketball club should love it."  
  
Mayuzumi looked as though he wanted to roll his eyes, but didn't because he wanted to maintain the blankness in his expression. Letting out a quiet sigh, he said, "Whatever. The point is..."  
  
Here, he hesitated a bit. His eyes narrowed slightly in his uncertainty. Then, he said, slightly falteringly, "What happens if in order to play the basketball you love, you have to...change yourself? Into an imitation of someone else?"  
  
After Mayuzumi said that, there was a long silence. Riko just stared at him in incomprehension.  
  
"Whaaat...?"  
  
Mayuzumi glared at Riko slightly as she stared at him with wide eyes. With a slight huff, he continued, "I mean, I like myself, you know? If I could, I want to continue playing basketball the way I want to play." His eyebrows furrowed slightly. "But if I don't change, I won't even get the chance to play basketball."  
  
Riko was starting to grasp the edges of an understanding. Frowning in thought, she placed the knuckle of her forefinger on her lower lip, pinching the ice lolly stick with her third finger and thumb, as she said, "So, if I get this right, you feel that in order to be good at basketball, you have to imitate someone else?"  
  
Mayuzumi nodded. "Something like that, yeah."  
  
Riko sighed. "That's...really complicated." Then, she perked up slightly. "Well, of course I want you to still play the basketball you want to play. But, think about it."  
  
Mayuzumi was looking at her thoughtfully as Riko continued, "Lots of people improve their game by watching other people's techniques. Some even develop their own style after watching countless others. It happens in baseball, it happens in tennis, it happens in a lot of different sports. I can't see why you can't do the same in basketball."  
  
Mayuzumi was starting to look more cheerful, if that was possible with his ever-serene face, as Riko finished with, "I think it will be a good thing for you to learn this person's techniques. Once you study them, then you can improve yourself, and develop your own style. Your very own basketball."  
  
After she finished, Riko smiled at Mayuzumi; a bright, cheerful smile, full of hope. He was looking at her very closely as he listened to her.  
  
Then, he quirked a small smile of his own.  
  
"You're  _so_ naive."  
  
Riko widened her eyes at his statement, and immediately after that, she frowned angrily at him. "Everything I said made sense, didn't it? How is that naive?"  
  
In response, Mayuzumi suddenly held out his hand.  
  
Riko blinked at his sudden action. Sighing, Mayuzumi said, "Your ice lolly stick."  
  
Still feeling slightly confused, she handed it to him, and he immediately pocketed it. Then, he just turned away from her and started walking out of the park. But he was still smiling his small smile. "I'm leaving now. I have to catch the next bus or else it'll be too late."  
  
Riko blinked again at his abrupt actions. And then, she felt slightly angry. "Wait!" Riko shouted at his back. "You're not going to say anything in response to what I just said? Mayuzumi-senpai!"  
  
He just waved a hand without looking back. "I'll see you during practice, Riko."  
  
Riko ground her teeth at his retreating back. He continued strolling off, slowly and languidly.  
  
And then, what he said clicked in her mind.  
  
She couldn't help the huge smile blooming on her face as she yelled uselessly at his back, "Yeah! I'll see you!" And then she waved energetically at his back, although he had already walked so far, he wouldn't have seen her even if he had turned around.  
  
____  
  
Akashi had been playing chess by himself in his room that night when he was interrupted by a phone call.  
  
Akashi didn't like chess as much as he did  _shogi,_ but in this instance, he felt that chess was very appropriate. It was so simple, so much simpler than the mechanics of  _shogi._ At this stage, he felt that the simplicity could aid in his thinking far more than the complexity of  _shogi_ could. For now at least.  
  
After his mobile phone rang three times, Akashi picked up the call, pinching the phone elegantly against his ear.  
  
"Hey, it's me."  
  
Akashi smiled; it was a refined, delicate upturn of his lips. He picked up the chess piece of a black queen, fingering it and running his fingers over its contours.  
  
"Good evening."  
  
There was a long silence, during which Akashi could hear the soft sounds of breathing on the other end of the line. He gently placed the queen on a black square.  _Check._  
  
"I...uh..."  
  
More breathing.  
  
"Teach me everything you can. About the phantom sixth man."  
  
Unconsciously, Akashi's smile broadened. He moved the white king to the square next to where it previously was.  
  
"Certainly."  
  
Akashi heard the sounds of more breathing. He picked up the black queen to move it again. But before he could place it down, Mayuzumi spoke.  
  
"You're sure that all these techniques would allow me to help the team? And they will... _accept_  me as one of them? Even...even the Uncrowned Kings?"  
  
Akashi frowned slightly as he heard Mayuzumi's question. He placed the black queen back to where it was, and moved to pick up a black bishop instead.  
  
"Reo accepts all my decisions wholeheartedly." Akashi shook his head a little at himself, and placed down the black bishop. He moved to pick up a black knight instead.  
  
"Eikichi would, as well." He moved to place the black knight near the white king, but before he did so, he changed his mind again. Placing the piece back into its original position, he then moved to pick up a black rook instead.  
  
"Kotarou would make a lot of noise." He looked at the rook with a slight furrow in his eyebrow. "But he trusts me implicitly. He will accept my decision." He placed the rook near the king.  _Check._  
  
"Oh, that's good."  
  
Akashi moved the white king away again. He picked up a black pawn, and narrowed his eyes as he looked at it for a moment.  
  
"Riko is the one who would question my decision. She is suspicious of every decision I make. I can tell even when she doesn't speak her objections."  
  
Akashi moved his hand towards the chess board to place the black pawn near the king. It shall have to be sacrificed for his checkmate strategy. But before he could place the pawn down, he heard Mayuzumi give a short laugh. It was so unusual that the sound stilled Akashi's hand.  
  
"Nah...there's no way she would object.  _She's_ the one who helped me make this decision. I'm sure she'd be happy to see me part of the team."  
  
Akashi held the pawn in his hand for a long time. He placed it back to where it was. "Is that so?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Akashi picked up the black queen instead, and looked at it for a moment. He ran his fingers over its contours again. It was so smooth, so shiny. Then, he moved it towards the white king. "She must have been very convincing."  _Check._  
  
"She really was. Her speech was horrible, though. It was kinda sappy."  
  
Akashi nodded, even though Mayuzumi couldn't see him. "That certainly sounds like the nature of something she would say." He moved the white king away from the check.  
  
"Yeaah, she's  _really..._ one of a kind."  
  
Akashi looked at the chessboard for a while, pondering his next move. He didn't reply Mayuzumi.  
  
"So you're really gonna teach me that stuff, right?"  
  
Akashi picked up a black pawn. "Of course." He moved it swiftly and decisively towards the white king. "I will teach you everything I know about the phantom sixth man." The black pawn made a sound as Akashi placed it firmly on the board.  
  
 _Checkmate._  
  
___  
  
  
A few days after that evening in the park and Riko was still grinning like she never had before in Rakuzan.  
  
It was going to be the first basketball practice since that wonderful evening. She had never looked forward to basketball practice as much as she did that day. She was so happy that even Hayama's annoying antics failed to bring down the smile on her face. It slightly creeped him out, because she still smiled happily at him and turned around to have lunch with him during their lunch break, even though he had been kicking her chair and throwing paper balls at her head all throughout the first half of the school session.  
  
Nothing could ruin her mood, because she  _finally_ felt like a good coach again.  
  
Although she had been helping the third string as much as she could, it was difficult seeing the demotivation on their faces as they came into practice, and seeing how the other assistant coaches treated them so differently than they did the first or second string. The entire Rakuzan atmosphere was stifling their love for basketball, mutating it into something else. Into something that made only winning matter, instead of pure enjoyment for a simple game. It had been difficult being the only person who cared about their progress, when even they themselves were giving up. She had been beginning to feel doubt creep into her mind.  
  
And then, her words actually helped Mayuzumi. The one person who had actually quit basketball.  _She_ brought it back for him. Just like Kiyoshi did for Hyuuga.  
  
Rakuzan was finally having some sort of resemblance with Seirin, and Riko was feeling like she could take on the world again.  
  
"So, Riko's crazy again," Hayama said to Mibuchi and Nebuya, as both he and Riko entered the gym together for the basketball practice.  
  
Riko rolled her eyes, and then said chirpily, "No, I'm not!"  
  
"Told you," Hayama said to Mibuchi, who just smiled genially, and Nebuya ruffled Riko's hair.  
  
"I'm glad you're so happy, Riko-chan," he said. Riko smiled back at him, her eyes crinkling.  
  
"I think she has a fever," Hayama said. "She can't be this patient with me, she was smiling at me all day." And then he tackled Riko to put his hand on her forehead.  
  
"Kotarou-chan, that's not how you handle a sick person! Or a girl!" Mibuchi shrieked, as Riko struggled to push Hayama off her; he had grappled her until she fell onto the floor and turned it into some kind of wrestling match.  
  
After Nebuya physically lifted Hayama off Riko, and Mibuchi was berating Hayama angrily for how he treated girls, Riko quickly shook off the shock, punched Hayama for good measure, and then walked off to the third string gym to look for Mayuzumi.  
  
She went into the area where the state-of-the-art gym equipments were kept, and walked through every row to get a glimpse of his grey hair. He wasn't there. She walked back onto the basketball courts, her eyes combing through the third-stringers performing their stamina drills to look for him. He still wasn't anywhere.  
  
Okay, maybe he was at the vending machines.  
  
She walked over to the rows of vending machines serving many varieties of fancy snacks, but she only spotted another third-stringer helping himself to a sports drink. Nodding in greeting at him, she continued her way towards the rows of water fountains. Maybe he was taking a drink from one of those instead. The Rakuzan snacks  _were_ ridiculously expensive.  
  
But he was nowhere to be found.  
  
After nearly an hour of searching, she still couldn't find him. Her ever-constant grin was starting to fade. Was she wrong? Could she have heard him wrongly that evening? She racked her memories. She had been certain he mentioned practice.  
  
Slumping slightly, she walked back to the first string gym, still trying to replay his quiet farewell words that evening in her mind. Trying to replay the image of his retreating back, which looked so lonely as he left, and yet so comforting at the same time. The rush of happiness as his words registered in her mind, even as she watched him leave. Remembering all that made her feel even worse. The moment she entered, dragging her feet, Hayama pounced on her.  
  
"Riko! Now you look so forlorn!"  
  
She extended her arms to push him away, and then looked up into his face.  
  
"Seriously, what's the matter with you?" said Hayama. As Riko looked into his eyes, she caught a glimpse of concern. She shook her head, and then pushed him further away from her; he had still been holding her shoulders.  
  
"I'm fine, Hayama-kun."  
  
When she tried to push him away, he only grasped her shoulders more tightly. "No, you're not! You don't look okay!" Hayama quickly took away one of his hands from her shoulder and then gently placed it on her forehead.  
  
With his hand on her forehead, Riko glumly glanced away from his face looking concernedly down at her, towards the other first-stringers instead. And then her jaw promptly dropped.  
  
Because Mayuzumi was  _right there;_  he was doing his drills with the other first-stringers.  
  
"Mayuzumi-senpai!" Riko squeaked. Hayama, with his hand still on her forehead, jumped at her sudden noise.  
  
Mayuzumi turned to look towards her voice calling his name.  
  
Quickly pushing Hayama's hands away from her shoulder and forehead, she strode quickly towards Mayuzumi. He stopped doing his drills to smile at her as she approached.  
  
"Hey, Riko." As he greeted her with a small smile, he stretched his arms to continue warming up his muscles.  
  
Riko was still surprised, and with widened eyes, she asked him, "Why are you here in the first string gym? I expected you in the third string gym..." But she still smiled at him because he was here doing basketball practice. He was  _here._ She felt warmth engulf her being once again.  
  
And then, she heard an impassive voice sound out behind her.  _The_ impassive voice. "I am training Chihiro."  
  
She widened her eyes again, and then whipped around to see Akashi striding towards them. Somewhere in her peripheral vision, she saw Hayama, Mibuchi and Nebuya approaching her and Mayuzumi too.  
  
"That is the reason he is in the first string gym," Akashi continued, as he stopped in front of her. He smiled a polished, charismatic smile at her. "He hides a talent that is different from ours."  
  
Riko immediately felt a chill rush over her. The warmth that she had just felt faded away, and was replaced by a wave of misgivings. Why could she never feel assured whenever she talked to Akashi? He was the  _captain._ Briefly, Hyuuga's face flashed in her mind. Rakuzan was just so different from Seirin.  
  
She turned towards Mayuzumi, who nodded reassuringly at her, but it didn't do anything to soothe her worries. As she opened her mouth to say something, Mayuzumi cut her off, "Yeah, Akashi's the one who's gonna teach me the techniques I was telling you about."  
  
Riko's eyes widened at his words.  _Akashi-kun?_ She turned quickly to look at the redhead instead, and he was still smiling at her. Such an immaculate smile.  _It was Akashi-kun who gave him that lifeline of hope?_  
  
"He's going to be one of the starting regulars with us," Hayama interjected, cutting through Riko's thoughts. She turned to him next to her. Hayama turned away from Riko to look at Mayuzumi instead, his eyes narrowed. "But you better keep up with all our training routines. Just because Akashi's teaching you some fancy skills doesn't mean you can slack off on the basic stuff." He huffed, and his eyes narrowed further. "Rakuzan has a  _standard_ , you know?"  
  
"Kotarou-chan is right," Mibuchi agreed, also looking at Mayuzumi with narrowed eyes. "If you can't keep up with our training, you won't be of any use in the matches."  
  
" _Yeah_ , you'd better not pull us down," Nebuya added, glaring at Mayuzumi too. "Our basic training sets are tough, so you'd better make sure you're up to par."  
  
Riko was completely baffled when she heard all these words from the three boys. Didn't they  _just_  have dinner together the other day? What happened to Nebuya and Mibuchi's affability?   
  
And, they were  _teammates._ Mayuzumi just joined their  _team._ Was this the way they treated a new joiner?  
  
"What is  _wrong_ with all of you?" Riko said angrily. "We just had dinner together the other day." She turned to Nebuya with a glare. "Mayuzumi-senpai wished you a happy birthday, Nebuya-kun." Turning to Mibuchi, she continued, "And  _you_ invited him to the event."   
  
Nebuya and Mibuchi only blinked at her.  
  
And then Nebuya said, "Riko-chan, that's completely different from this. _That_ was to celebrate your achievement, so of course we were going to invite your friend along.  _This_ is  _basketball._ " He glanced at Mayuzumi with narrowed eyes. "And he's terrible at it."  
  
"Yes, Riko-chan, surely you can understand that we can't tolerate a poor performance from him. This is  _Rakuzan,_ " added Mibuchi, looking at Riko as though  _she_ was the one who was being incomprehensible.   
  
But before she could protest again at their treatment, Mayuzumi spoke up, "Yes, of course. I'll keep up to Rakuzan's standards. I know how everything works here." His small smile had long disappeared; Riko felt as though it had happened so long ago although it was only a few minutes ago. "I'll be able to contribute to the team for sure."  
  
Hayama snorted at his words. "Just prove it to us when you can do the stamina drills without sweating like a friggin' pig." With a scowl, he turned around and walked towards another group of first-stringers practising their ball-handling technique to join them. Mibuchi and Nebuya turned away from Mayuzumi as well to return to their own drills.  
  
After watching them leave, Mayuzumi had turned to go back to his stamina drills too, and then Riko desperately called out to him, "Mayuzumi-senpai."  
  
He looked at her, his face carefully blank.  
  
Swallowing slightly, Riko continued, "I'm sure you will do very well in the first string. Especially once you develop your own basketball." She gave him a faltering smile. She felt that she  _had_ to encourage him. She couldn't let things remain the way they were then, not for this first time he returned to basketball since he quit.  
  
Mayuzumi opened his mouth to reply, but before he could do so, Akashi said, "Ah, yes, it is you I have to thank, Riko."  
  
Raising her eyebrows, Riko turned to meet Akashi's piercing gaze. He was looking at her like he was a scientist, and she was one of his experiments. She had never felt that way before. The pressure, which was still there, was normal, but this...  
  
This felt like her entire being was being dissected, and the fate of her pieces were at his every whim and fancy.  
  
"It was you who persuaded Chihiro to agree to my training, wasn't it? Thank you, Riko."

Suddenly, the memory of Akashi's mysterious look, and Mayuzumi's distractedness that evening hit her like a ton of bricks. _Was this...did Akashi-kun...did he..._

With another polished smile, Akashi nodded at her, and turned to walk away. With his back facing them, he said as he strode away, "Chihiro, I will meet you in the training room for your special training after you finish all the basic routines."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
After Akashi left, Mayuzumi turned to Riko, and patted her on the head as he said, "I've gotta go back to practice now. I'll talk to you later." And then he left her standing there too.  
  
But Riko never felt the touch of his hand on her head, because she was still grappling with the tumultuous emotions engulfing her being. She really shouldn't have been surprised anymore; Akashi always made her feel that way.  
  
It was only that this time, she had felt so vulnerable and exposed, that her pride didn't even have the time to rise in response. Because this time, someone she cared about was involved.  
  
And while Riko could take any punches or kicks thrown at her, she would never be able to take it if someone she cared about was dragged down with her too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Japan rarely has public bins in parks. Hence, Mayuzumi's actions.


	8. A New Arrangement

Riko spent the entire practice session shadowing Mayuzumi, feeling like a stalker.  
  
She would rather think of herself as a guardian angel.  
  
After standing for a while, trying to control the emotions inside her due to Akashi, Riko had unceremoniously shoved them aside in favour of Mayuzumi. He had to come first, before herself. The fact of the matter was, she was still worried about him. How he felt when the boys said those  _things_ to him. Whether he was thinking about it as he practised basketball. That wasn't good motivation at all.  
  
And so, she followed him everywhere as he did his training routines.  
  
She watched him like a hawk as he did his stamina drills. When he finished them, he moved to shooting drills. He made one jump shot after another, and Riko hid behind one of the pillars watching him closely until Shirogane-sensei asked her, with his usual weariness at her behaviour, what she was doing, a vein throbbing in his temple the whole time. After making up a story (she had felt faint, sensei, and so she had to lean against the pillar), she shadowed Mayuzumi as he did his ball-handling practice. He really was relatively good; it was nothing compared to Hayama, but she still thought he had perhaps equal dexterity to Mitobe.  
  
When Mayuzumi finally entered the training room where Akashi was already waiting for him and shut the door behind him, Riko stood by the door for a while. Then, she started pacing outside, wringing her hands. She wanted to be in there with them. If she thought she cared about Mayuzumi before, that was nothing compared to now. She was the person who  _encouraged_ him to return to basketball. To go to  _Akashi._ She wouldn't forgive herself if she didn't keep track of his progress. It was her responsibility.  
  
And she still harboured that hope that she would be able to coach his progress personally. She couldn't lie to herself; when she saw him in the first string, she had seen a vision of herself coaching him until he became the ace of the team. For a coach at Rakuzan, it would have been the ultimate accomplishment. And it would have proven that everything she had said to him was right all along.  
  
But now...all those images were being dashed. It was Akashi who was handling Mayuzumi's development.  
  
It was nearly too much for Riko to bear.  
  
But she  _couldn't_ enter. All her strength and defiance was telling her to  _open the door_ and  _demand_ to be part of the training _,_ but her feet were rooted to the ground.  
  
Because she was remembering Akashi's  _look._ That horrible dissecting look that had made her feel so exposed. It was as though all his previous ones were him being half-distracted as he looked at her, and only now was he looking at her with undivided attention.  
  
Frankly, it gave her the creeps.  
  
She threw her hands into the air and was about to growl her frustration, when she suddenly felt her head being tapped. Turning around with a scowl, she saw that it was only Hayama who had done so, and he was frowning at her.  
  
"Oh, it's you."  
  
Riko glumly looked down at the ground, and kicked a non-existent stone.  
  
Hayama sighed exasperatedly, and then reached out a hand to pull her hair. Riko immediately grabbed it without looking up. With well-practised ease, Hayama overturned her hand, so that  _he_ was gripping it instead, and Riko struggled to pull her hand free. After struggling for a while, she looked up with a sigh to glare at him, but instead of his usual devilish look of glee, Hayama was only giving her a rankled frown.  
  
"The  _hell_ is up with you today, Riko? You haven't been paying attention at all throughout practice today. This isn't like you."  
  
His frown lessened its intensity slightly as he continued, "You're usually so annoying, forcing everyone to stretch and warm up properly."  
  
Riko sighed again, and then turned away from him, but she could still feel his eyes on her. So she sulkily said, "There isn't anything. Just go back to practice." And then she tried unsuccessfully to pull her hand free, but he just tightened his grasp.  
  
Then his eyes suddenly widened, and he said in a panic, "Shit, is it  _that time_? You know _...o_ f the  _month._ Is that why you've been so weird all day?"  
  
Riko immediately turned back to glare at him. " _No,_ shut  _up,_ Hayama-kun." She shoved him in the chest with her other hand, but since he was still holding her hand, the push only made her tumble into him with an "oof".  
  
Hayama released a breath, scratching his hair with the hand not holding Riko. "Oh,  _pheeww._ " He looked too relieved, and it made Riko feel even more irritated with him. He really was such a horrible person.  
  
And then he continued with exasperation, "Then what's the problem?"  
  
Riko looked away from Hayama again, and frowned at the ground. She glanced at the training room door to her left. She couldn't hear anything. Hiding another sigh, she turned back to Hayama, who was still scrutinising her. She touched his hand holding her, and she felt his grip soften slightly.  
  
"It's Mayuzumi-senpai," began Riko. The moment she uttered his name, she felt Hayama's grip tighten again, even more than it did before. She frowned at him, and tugged her hand again, as she continued, "I want to train him too, but he's with Akashi-kun. And it's supposed to be private training." _I want to know what Akashi-kun is doing with him._  
  
Hayama's frown had become even more pronounced when he heard her explanation. "Him  _again?_ What the hell is  _up_ with your obsession with him?" He made a face that distorted his expression. "He's so  _boring_ and  _dull._ It's better if he just stayed out of our lives."  
  
Riko glared hard at him and kicked his shin, ignoring his subsequent "ow!". She huffed, and then said, "He's  _not_ boring. I like being around him. He has a very soothing presence."  
  
Hayama made another face that made him look slightly constipated. " Oh, that's so  _sexy,_ right, Riko, he has a 'soothing presence'. That must mean he's just  _so fun_  to hang around with, with all his fancy  _light novels,_ and his  _reading_." Before he could continue deriding Mayuzumi, Riko interrupted him with a twitching eyebrow.  
  
"At least he doesn't try to pull my hair or hold my hand hostage." She tugged her hand to emphasise her point, but Hayama just gripped it tighter with a slight pout.  
  
"Anyway," Hayama continued. "There's nothing to worry about, Riko! He's with Akashi. He's gonna get the best training possible. Although I have no idea what Akashi's thinking either." He frowned again. "He's almost as interested in Mayuzumi as you are."  
  
"Exactly!" Riko said emphatically, and then she turned to glance at the door again. She ignored Hayama, who had thrown a nonplussed look at her, and bit her lip in her worry, her eyebrows furrowing.  
  
"Riko."  
  
Riko turned to look back at Hayama grumpily. "Huh?"  
  
And then she was looking at a Hayama who was sticking his tongue out at her, and pulling the eyelid of one eye down with a finger.  
  
Riko continued staring at Hayama for a long time. She blinked once. And then twice.  
  
And then three times.  
  
"...What. Hayama-kun."  
  
Riko felt her eyebrow twitching again, and her hand itched to slap Hayama's stupid face. Then, he pulled his finger away, and stopped sticking his tongue out. He frowned at her frustratedly.  
  
"Sheesh, Riko, you're tough. I thought funny faces are supposed to cheer people up."  
  
Riko closed her eyes in suppressed irritation, and then, turned her head upwards to glare furiously into his face. She growled loudly outside the door.  
  
"Hayama-kun, that was just  _too_ -"  
  
The door suddenly opened.  
  
____  
  
  
Mayuzumi had been more distracted than he usually was during that practice session.  
  
When he entered the first string gym, he had glanced warily at Shirogane, wondering if he was going to order him straight to the third string gym. But Shirogane never bat an eyelid. He had just ordered him to join the other first-stringers with their training sets. Akashi must have persuaded him somehow, that Mayuzumi was a worthwhile player, and that he should be admitted into the first string.  
  
He didn't know if he should be happy that such a capable person was going to be training him, or intimidated.  
  
The Uncrowned Kings' comments didn't surprise him in the slightest. He had expected all of that. This was Rakuzan after all. And he really did need to improve his stamina if he ever wanted to participate in matches.  
  
It was Riko once again who baffled him. He honestly thought he would never be so surprised by one person as he was by Riko. He could only look at her as she expressed so much indignation on his behalf. How could she be so passionate. So sincere.  
  
And  _so_ naive.  
  
But...she was the only splash of colour in the greyness that was Rakuzan. She was the only one in this dull, drab place who  _understood_ what basketball meant to him.  
  
And so, for the rest of practice he puzzled over the riddle that was Riko. He thought he felt himself being watched, but before he could look, he was distracted once again by his thoughts. About Riko's actions. About Akashi's promise. About the mysterious training he was going to undergo later.  
  
All the usual training and practice drills passed by in a blur, and then it was time for the training he was looking forward to. Even if he did feel slightly nervous and apprehensive.  
  
But he still schooled his expression into one of blankness, before opening the door into the training room. Emotions were power to someone else, and he would never hand over such weapons willingly. Which was probably why he was so flummoxed by Riko, who displayed all her emotions on her face so clearly, and in her every action, her heart ever so obvious on her sleeve.  
  
Akashi was smiling his delicate, elegant smile when Mayuzumi spotted him in the room, standing next to a pile of books on a bench. Nodding curtly at him, Mayuzumi shut the door behind him. He ignored the sudden feeling of claustrophobia as he did so. It was irrational to experience that just from one first-year's eyes.  
  
He cleared his throat, and then said, "Akashi."  
  
Akashi nodded at him in greeting, and then placed his hands on the pile of books. "Chihiro. Did you manage to finish all the routines?"  
  
"Yeah, they were fine."  
  
Akashi nodded again, and then picked up one of the books. He opened it slowly and deliberately, and flipped through the pages, saying as he did so, "Good. Then it is time for your special training." He shut the book, and then handed it to Mayuzumi.  
  
Throwing Akashi a curious look, Mayuzumi took the book, and glanced at the cover. The title said 'Misdirection: Deceiving Your Audience'. Mayuzumi felt both his eyebrows rise after he read it.  
  
"Misdirection."  
  
Mayuzumi looked up to see Akashi smiling slightly, before he continued, "That is the phantom sixth man's true ability."  
  
Mayuzumi couldn't help it, he snorted at that. "The phantom sixth man became known as a phantom because of a bunch of magic tricks?"  
  
At his words, Akashi's smile broadened. "These aren't just magic tricks, Chihiro. Tetsuya is truly gifted in people observation. His sports IQ and analytical ability are exceptionally high as well. Combining all this with his misdirection makes him a truly powerful player. A force to be reckoned with."  
  
Mayuzumi fell silent as he heard that. He gripped the book tightly.  _That's him. That isn't me._  
  
"Misdirection is rooted in a few concepts," Akashi continued. "One crucial factor is that you have to be extremely observant. You must be able to understand people from their body language. From the way they behave. Only then can you manipulate their gaze. To make them  _want_ to look where you want them to look."  
  
Mayuzumi was still silent, trying to absorb the information. He was unsure if he would be able to do all this. He didn't  _want_ to be exactly like that Tetsuya. The whole point was for him to create his own basketball, using that guy's skill.  _Like Riko said._  
  
"Another essential point is that with misdirection, you are manipulating people's attention." Akashi stared levelly at Mayuzumi, and he felt as though he couldn't look anywhere else. "You have to practise a 'double vision'," Akashi continued. He lifted one finger. "One is a wider perception of reality. The reality only you know." He lifted a second finger. "The second is a narrower perception. The perception of the receiver of your misdirection. Only with an acute awareness of both, can you perform misdirection at will."  
  
'Perception'? 'Double vision'? As far as Mayuzumi knew, he visualised things in only one way. He had no idea what Akashi was going on about.  
  
"There are many other intricate details about misdirection. That book, and these, would help you understand it better." Akashi gestured towards the book in Mayuzumi's hand, and the pile next to him. "I would like you to read them." Then, he smiled a disconcerting smile. "I also encourage you to watch past videos of Tetsuya during his games. They would be very enlightening."  
  
Mayuzumi felt his eyes narrow. Was this guy actually ordering his senpai to do homework?  
  
"That's a lot of stuff," Mayuzumi tried to be casual, flinging the book he was holding into the pile next to Akashi.  
  
Akashi just nodded, and waved a hand. "All necessary, I assure you." He smiled again. "Tetsuya did a lot more than this to perfect his skill."  
  
Mayuzumi felt himself bristle inwardly. He was not Tetsuya, dammit.  
  
"For today, I would like to assess your passing ability." Akashi moved to pick up a basketball from the floor. "In order for your misdirection to be a powerful skill, you would have to be excellent in passing as well."  
  
"Whoah, hang on a moment."  
  
Akashi looked up from the basketball to look at Mayuzumi.  
  
Mayuzumi took a breath, and then continued with a frown, "I don't want to just pass the ball around. That's really boring." His eyes narrowed. "I want to play basketball my way, too, not just to pass. Otherwise basketball won't make me happy."  
  
Akashi blinked at his words, and then he smiled. "I understand. Do not worry, I hadn't intended for you to be like Tetsuya." His smile widened. "I intended for you to be even better than that."  
  
Mayuzumi blinked, and then frowned a little. What did he mean by that?  
  
"Still, in order for your misdirection skill to be truly useful, you  _would_ need to be very good in passing, better at it than even Reo, Kotarou or Eikichi." Akashi lifted the ball in preparation for a throw. "I would like you to try a 'tap pass'."  
  
"'Tap pass'?"  
  
"A pass that only allows you to change the direction of the ball, without you holding the ball for prolonged periods. This type of pass is essential for your misdirection."  
  
Mayuzumi nodded at the explanation and despite his slight misgivings, lifted his hands to prepare for the 'tap pass'.  
  
"Please change the direction of the ball to move towards that container." Akashi pointed at one of the containers located at Mayuzumi's left; it was partially filled with rubber basketballs. He turned back towards Mayuzumi and lifted the ball to throw at him.  
  
When the ball headed towards Mayuzumi, he quickly turned his body to more easily accommodate the 'tap pass' towards the container. After he tapped the ball, it flew towards the direction he wanted, but bounced off the rim of the container. It thudded away on the floor towards Akashi.  
  
Frowning slightly, Akashi picked it up, and then turned back towards Mayuzumi. "The way you moved was correct, but your 'tap' lacked control. Please attempt it again."  
  
Mayuzumi tried to hit the ball towards the container again, but this time, it bounced off the side of it, and rolled away.  
  
Akashi frowned more deeply, elegantly pinching his chin in thought. "This is strange. Once again, you moved very well, but the tap was wrong." He moved towards Mayuzumi and grabbed his hand. Mayuzumi felt his eyebrows furrow in puzzlement as well.  
  
Still frowning, Akashi continued as he looked at Mayuzumi's hand, "It appears that the problem is not in the way you moved, but in the way the ball contacted with your hand. But if you could move very well according to the ball's trajectory, it would make sense that you would then be able to hit the ball accordingly. However, you could not."  
  
At that point, both Akashi and Mayuzumi suddenly heard a loud growl outside the door. They looked at each other for a moment, exchanging a mystified look, and then Akashi dropped Mayuzumi's hand to open the door.  
  
They were faced with the strange sight of Hayama clutching Riko's hand, and Riko's face was up into Hayama's with a furious glare.  
  
____  
  
  
At the sight of Akashi and Mayuzumi staring at her, Riko immediately took a step back from Hayama.  
  
"Akashi-kun! Mayuzumi-senpai!" She shouted in surprise, and then she shook her hand vigorously to shake off Hayama's grip. Scowling and mumbling sulkily, Hayama let go of her, and then crossed his arms. Fixing a bright smile on her face, she asked, "How are you both doing?"  
  
Akashi just blinked, while Mayuzumi sighed, and then after a small smile briefly fleeted across his face, he said, "Oh, I should have expected it was just you, Riko."  
  
Riko blinked at that statement. "What do you mean, Mayuzumi-senpai?"  
  
Mayuzumi smiled sardonically, and then said, "Well, we heard a growl as though there was a wild animal outside the door."  
  
Riko bristled at his words, and frowning, she opened her mouth to protest heatedly, before she was suddenly cut off.  
  
"Riko."  
  
Riko turned to look at Akashi, and immediately regretted it. He was  _looking_ at her like he did earlier, and she felt completely vulnerable and exposed once again.  _How_ did he make his gaze so penetrating. She shuffled awkwardly on the spot, but refused to look away from his eyes. Her pride would not let her do it.  
  
"Could you come in here with Chihiro and I? I need your opinion on a certain matter."  
  
Mayuzumi turned to Akashi and frowned at him in confusion, while Riko stared at him with widened eyes. She suddenly heard her heart pounding loudly in her ears.  
  
"Wait, hold on a minute!"  
  
Everyone turned to look at Hayama, who was looking upset all of a sudden. He was frowning deeply, and his hands were clenched into fists.  
  
"Riko's supposed to be helping the first string with their strength training now. That's why I came to get her." Riko raised her eyebrows at that, but Hayama just continued, "She  _can't_ just do some random special training for  _this_ guy all of a sudden." He gestured at Mayuzumi with a scoff.  
  
Riko was about to angrily berate his rudeness when Akashi spoke up, a certain sternness in his tone. "Kotarou." He turned from Riko to look at Hayama with a steely glare. "I require Riko's assistance now."  
  
When Akashi turned to look at him, Hayama had blinked, and he stopped frowning so deeply. But after glancing at Riko, he still started to say, "But Akashi-"  
  
"Kotarou." Akashi's eyes had narrowed slightly. "Go back to practice."  
  
Hayama still stood there for a while, his hands clasping and unclasping the edges of his basketball jersey. He glanced at Riko again, and with a slight frown, he opened his mouth. After catching sight of Akashi's gaze, he shut it, but still shuffled on the spot. His frown deepened, and he still didn't move away from where he stood.  
  
Riko decided to speak up. "Go on, Hayama-kun," she said impatiently. "This probably won't take long anyway. I'll be back in the first string gym in just a few minutes."  
  
At her words, Hayama stopped shuffling. He looked at her for a moment, an unreadable look evident in his eyes. Then, he turned to walk away, pausing for a short while to glare at Mayuzumi. He left immediately after that. He didn't look at Akashi once.  
  
Riko sighed, shaking her head. "Honestly..." She turned to look at Akashi, who was still staring after Hayama with slightly narrowed eyes. "Akashi-kun?" He shuffled imperceptibly, and then turned to face her. "You needed my advice?"  
  
After looking at her for a moment, he said, "Yes. Please come in here."  
  
He turned around and walked back into the training room, without looking to see if they followed. Frowning slightly, Riko followed him in, and Mayuzumi went in after her.  
  
____  
  
  
"Why is it so necessary for him to do this 'tap pass'?" Riko asked, her eyebrows furrowing in thought and slight suspicion.  
  
Right after they entered the room, Akashi had immediately told Mayuzumi to demonstrate his passing to Riko. After a slight frown, Mayuzumi did as Akashi asked, and it had only taken Riko one look to know what the problem was. She was more curious about why Akashi wanted Mayuzumi to learn this technique, and decided to glean some answers from Akashi before enlightening the pair.  
  
At her question, Mayuzumi shrugged at her, and then said, "Akashi thinks it's really important for me to learn this for my development."  
  
"Chihiro needs to master this technique in order for his hidden talent to be fully utilised," Akashi explained coolly, directing a steady gaze at her. "It is the crux for the development of his potential."  
  
Riko fell silent at Akashi's explanation, and glared at him slightly. When he put it that way, there was no way she couldn't let them know. She had recklessly felt like rebelling against Akashi in that moment, and she just knew it had something to do with his disconcerting gaze on her.  
  
With a sigh, Riko stretched out her hand to take Mayuzumi's. He looked quizzically at her, but didn't protest. She traced his palm, and then said, "Mayuzumi-senpai has been training as a power forward throughout the past two years. This means that he has been religiously practising his ball-handling, shooting and dribbling skills." She paused to run her fingers across his. "So whenever he touches the ball, his hands automatically switch into a conformation that is most suited for either one of those skills."  
  
Looking up from Mayuzumi's hand to look at Akashi in the eye, she continued, "Even if he consciously tries to do this 'tap pass', the reflexes in his hands will subconsciously cause him to slightly change the position of his hands." She looked at Mayuzumi's hand again. "I can see that his hands are very well-honed to those three skills. He must have practised a lot."  
  
She glanced at Mayuzumi's face from the corner of her eye, and then said, "So due to this subconscious reflex, he won't be able to master changing the direction of the ball in a mid-pass, simply because passing is so fundamentally different from those skills he's been practising." She turned to look at Akashi. "In order for him to master this pass, he would have to completely focus on developing just the passing skill. So that his palms will be completely adjusted to that skill, instead of the others."  
  
"That is the only way he would have complete control on the direction of the ball when it is thrown at him. It isn't easy to alter such a fast pass trajectory, after all," she finished.  
  
To Riko's great curiosity, an emotion had fleeted over Akashi's eyes at her words. It looked slightly like...respect? Like he was slightly impressed. But it couldn't be, because Akashi was never impressed with anything.  
  
"Is there any way of correcting this?" Akashi enquired.  
  
Before Riko could say anything, Mayuzumi spoke up. "No." He took his hand back from Riko's and glared slightly at Akashi. "I don't want to focus only on passing. I told you."  
  
"And I explained to you that I understand your concerns," Akashi replied. "However, I did tell you that this skill is necessary for you to further develop." He turned back to Riko. "I am not asking for him to completely master this skill. That would take too much time, and I intend for him to practise in matches as a starting regular as soon as possible."  
  
At his last few words, Mayuzumi had shifted slightly, but Akashi just continued, "He would need the experience in order to be useful." He threw Mayuzumi a calculating look, and then continued, "All I am asking of you, Riko, is if he can improve his passing ability, until he is at least better than average."  
  
Akashi smiled, a knowing smile that Riko thought looked slightly sinister. "His talent will do the rest."  
  
Riko fell silent for a moment, pondering Akashi's words in her mind. She really didn't know what he was getting at. But she still said, "Yes, it is possible."  
  
Akashi's smile broadened, and Mayuzumi turned to look at her quickly with slightly widened eyes. "I am experienced with correcting any imbalanced development in muscles and reflexes," she continued. "And that includes skills involving those muscles too. I can design a tailored training menu for Mayuzumi-senpai so that he can continue developing the skills for a power forward, but also further develop this passing skill."  
  
"Excellent," Akashi said. "Then I would like you to please attend Chihiro's private training sessions as well." He continued smiling at her, looking at her with his disconcerting eyes. "You would be able to greatly assist me in his development."  
  
Riko raised her eyebrows at his words, but before she could comment, Mayuzumi said, "Wait."  
  
Both of them turned to look at him. He was frowning slightly, and his eyes had that resolve that reminded Riko of Hyuuga.  
  
"You both are discussing these things about me like it doesn't concern me. But it does." He took a quiet breath. "I want to have a say about my own development too. It's  _my_ basketball."  
  
He glared slightly at Akashi, and then continued, " And that means that when I say I really don't want to do so much practice on passing, I want you both to listen to me." He frowned even more. "I'm not even sure if I even want to do this passing thing. If I want it to be part of my basketball."  
  
Riko had immediately opened her mouth to exclaim her agreement, but Akashi beat her to it. "Of course."  
  
His odd smile somehow became even more sinister-looking, and he continued, "I do not intend at all for your passing to be the primary use of your talent." Mayuzumi blinked in surprise, and Riko did too. Hadn't he said it was the "crux" for Mayuzumi's development?  
  
"After hearing Riko's explanation, I now have new plans to utilise your ability, Chihiro." Akashi's eyes were penetrating into Riko; she wondered if Mayuzumi felt as suffocated as she was feeling right now.  
  
"Passing is merely secondary to what I am envisioning for you."  
  
____  
  
After the strange training session with Mayuzumi and Akashi, Akashi had dismissed her, saying that he needed to teach Mayuzumi more about misdirection, so she wasn't needed until the next one. She wondered why Akashi was so focused on teaching Mayuzumi some tricks on illusion – how could that be helpful in basketball?  
  
But somewhere in the back of her mind, she couldn't help wondering if there was any connection to the phantom player, the phantom sixth man, who helped Teikou Middle School win so many victories. The player Hyuuga raved about all the time during their regular nightly conversations. All she knew about him was that he was  _different_ from a regular talented basketball player, and that he worked very well with Kagami. She didn't know the mechanics of how special he was, or just why he had been considered a Miracle, when Hyuuga had implied that he had been so surprised to discover he was one.  
  
But there had to be some connection because both he and Akashi were Miracles. And it was too coincidental that the word "phantom" and "misdirection' had similar connotations.  
  
Everything was all too confusing, and Akashi was just so mysterious.  
  
Fighting off a growl of frustration, Riko walked back to the first string gym to look for Hayama. He had seemed upset earlier, so she wanted to make sure he wasn't being too annoying to everyone else in order to vent his frustration. The mystery had to wait until she made sure he was okay.  
  
However, she couldn't find him anywhere. Riko gritted her teeth in chagrin; it seemed as though throughout this whole practice session today, she couldn't find the people she most wanted to see. He wasn't with the other first-stringers practising their ball-handling, or with the players doing their shooting drills.  
  
She went over to the section of the gym with the state-of-the-art gym equipment, and found Mibuchi and Nebuya there doing their strength training. She suppressed her anger at them; she was still upset at the fact that they had treated Mayuzumi so badly earlier. She really couldn't understand their point of view.  
  
They greeted her with their usual amiable smiles, and Riko felt her heart pound in resentment because they didn't even know that she was angry at them. She couldn't comprehend how they could compartmentalise between people and basketball, because weren't they interlinked,  _especially_ when a teammate was involved?  
  
With gritted teeth, she asked them about Hayama, but they told her that he had just left after mumbling something about letting off steam alone. Riko had blinked at that. It was unusual for Hayama not to bother anyone especially when he was frustrated about something.  
  
The practice session had ended, and there was still no sign of Hayama. Fighting off a sigh, Riko trudged towards the gym exit, thinking that she probably would have to talk to him tomorrow. But just as she stepped outside the gym, she was called out by someone.  
  
"Riko, hey."  
  
Turning around to face the voice, she saw that it was Mayuzumi. Immediately, she perked up, and greeted him cheerfully, "Mayuzumi-senpai, hello!" She continued more carefully, "Is your training over?"  
  
Mayuzumi nodded, and then said, "Yeah. Akashi told me to let you know that my next training session will be on Saturday. You have to be there too."  
  
Riko made a face at the mention of Akashi, but nodded slightly happily at Mayuzumi. She was satisfied with the thought that she could at least be involved with training Mayuzumi, even if it was with Akashi. She hoped it wouldn't lead to another argument. During the previous few times, she had gotten the feeling that she had gone dangerously close to making him snap. And she was in the palm of his hand; if he chose to do so, he could simply ask Shirogane-sensei to remove her from the assistant coach position.  
  
"Anyway," Mayuzumi continued. He looked at her with a slight quirk of his lips. "Do you want to grab an ice lolly together?"  
  
Riko grinned widely at him. "Yeah! That would be awesome!" Then she asked him curiously, "Why do you want to treat me all of a sudden?"  
  
"Just think of it as a thank you present for training me." He walked off first, his back facing her, expecting her to follow.  
  
The smile on Riko's face became even wider, and she ran up to him, bumping into him slightly as she fell by his side. But when she glanced upwards to his face, he was still smiling slightly.  
  
____  
  
  
After snacking on ice lollies with Mayuzumi and chatting with him on the bench in the park like the first time, the sky rapidly went dark as they spent quite a while in the park. Mayuzumi had taken her wrapper and ice lolly stick again, and had rushed onto the bus back to central Kyoto before it got too late.  
  
Riko waved him goodbye, feeling cheerful again, and then turned to walk back to the Rakuzan female dormitories. As she walked, she took out her mobile phone, and scrolled down to look for Hyuuga's name. She wanted to talk to him. Spending time with Mayuzumi had made her feel nostalgic for Seirin, because she had finally found someone she could feel as comfortable with as she was with everyone at Seirin. And she wanted to tell him something important.  
  
But just as she was about to punch the call button, she heard the familiar thuds and thumps of a basketball near her. Frowning out of curiosity, she pocketed her mobile phone, and then moved towards the noise. It was coming from one of the streetball courts near the Rakuzan grounds, a little way beyond the convenience store where she and Mayuzumi bought their ice lollies.  
  
As she turned round the corner and past the fence surrounding the court, she saw that it was Hayama. He was playing basketball on his own.  
  
He dribbled the ball with his usual power and certainty, and masterful dexterity. The type of indomitability that made Riko's breath catch in her throat at his sheer supremacy over the movement of the ball. At the adeptness and deftness at which he altered the course of the ball as he dribbled towards the hoop. At his finesse as he did a modified crossover dribble to execute a basketball stunt.  
  
Riko couldn't help it; she gasped as she watched him.  
  
At the sound, Hayama stopped immediately and turned to look at the source with a scowl. When he saw that it was her, his eyes widened for a moment, and then went back into a harsh scowl.  
  
"The hell. It's you."  
  
With a huff, he turned away from her and did a drive towards the hoop. He leapt as he reached it, and dunked the ball forcefully in. It bounced off the court floor with a hard sound.  
  
Riko frowned immediately at this display of his tantrum. She walked up to where he had landed expertly by the hoop and stood right in front of him. He placed his hands on his hips and looked away from her with another huff.  
  
Gritting her teeth to suppress her irritation at his immaturity, Riko said, "Hayama-kun, what's wrong? Why are you so upset?"  
  
Hayama turned to look at her and scowled even harder. "You  _know_ what's wrong. You were there."  
  
"All I know is that you were being irrationally angry about me advising Akashi-kun for only a moment."  
  
"I wasn't irrationally angry." Hayama's eyes flashed in his temper. "It was really stupid for you to do that special training session. You were supposed to be doing the regular first string training with m- with us."  
  
Riko's eyebrow twitched. "I'm assistant coach to everyone, including Akashi-kun and Mayuzumi-senpai. You can't just monopolise my time like that."  
  
"I don't care. It was still dumb."  
  
"Well then, you can keep being all angry like this because I don't care either. You're not even trying to work past it." Riko was about to turn away when Hayama spoke up again.  
  
"It's not just because of that."  
  
She turned back to look at him and was surprised to see him look so unsure. Hayama was usually so confident and cocky.  
  
He took a deep breath, and continued, "During that moment, I...sort of went against Akashi. I don't know what he'll do." He looked at the ground. "It wasn't even that I disagreed with him. He always makes so much sense to me. I was just so pissed off in that moment."  
  
Riko looked at him for a while, and then said more kindly, "I'm sure Akashi-kun will understand. It seems to me like he would understand you more than you understand yourself."  
  
At her words, Hayama just sighed, "You don't know that." He continued more loudly, "You don't know what Akashi's thinking. No one does. No one can understand what is going on in his mind."  
  
"You're right," Riko scowled in agreement as she thought about Akashi. "If he is as good a leader as everyone seems to think he is, this honestly wouldn't be a problem. But because he's just so difficult to decipher, it's impossible to know."  
  
"Hey, wait a second," Hayama said. "I don't understand him at all, but he  _is_ a good leader. He always has a valid judgement on everything." He glared at Riko. "You're just so biased against him that you can't see it."  
  
"And  _you're_ just so biased  _with_ him that you think everything he does is so perfect, and that the sun and the stars shine on his every action and word!" Riko retorted with narrowed eyes.  
  
"No I don't!" Hayama growled. Then, he added in an undertone, "It's true though."  
  
" _See_?" Riko said exasperatedly as she heard his mutter. "You should at least question his motivations."  
  
"You question his motivations  _too_ much!" Hayama retorted.  
  
They glared at each other for several minutes, both panting heavily from their brief argument. Then, Hayama sighed, and said, "Well, you can't say I don't question him. I  _just_ disagreed with him." He groaned and kneaded his eyebrows.  
  
"Hayama-kun."  
  
Removing his hand from his forehead, he turned to look at her with a growled "what." But when he spotted her face, she was pulling down the eyelids of both her eyes, and sticking out her tongue.  
  
He stared at her for several long moments.  
  
Then, he couldn't control himself. He pushed his hands onto his mouth to stifle it, but it was too late. The muffled sounds of laughter started straining against his hands, and then his knees gave out; they felt so  _weak_. He started rolling around on the court floor, guffawing loudly and without abandon. As he kicked his legs in his mirth, he gripped his stomach because it was  _hurting_ so much.  
  
And seeing him like that, Riko started giggling too, and then her giggles changed into full-on laughter. She felt her knees weaken, her body convulsing with hilarity at Hayama's reaction. And suddenly she was on the floor laughing too, and tumbling into Hayama as they both rolled around and clutched their stomachs.  
  
They continued laughing for so long, they started wheezing and feeling breathless. As they felt the laughter leave their systems, they leaned onto each other, both breathing heavily, but still grinning so much that their faces were beginning to hurt.  
  
And then, as Riko continued panting, Hayama turned to her with such a wide grin, it split his face into half. She giggled again at his expression, but he just said to her, "See? I  _told_ you funny faces cheered people up."  
  
____  
  
  
Later that night, Riko was still chuckling slightly as she remembered Hayama's reaction to her face-pulling, and it threatened to explode into a belly laugh once again when she remembered the Shirtless Incident.  
  
Remembering all that was distracting her from doing her homework, and from drafting out the training plan for Mayuzumi and her other players, so she gave up on it and just sat on her bed trying to stop grinning because it was starting to make her face hurt.  
  
Then, she remembered she had to call Hyuuga. Feeling her grin broaden, if that were possible, she quickly grabbed her phone and called him. He picked up after only four rings.  
  
"Hey, Riko."  
  
Riko continued grinning although he couldn't see her, and then she said chirpily, "Hi Hyuuga-kun!"  
  
"...You're not cooking for anyone right now, are you?"  
  
At his random question, Riko frowned in confusion. "No, of course not. Why?"  
  
For some reason, Hyuuga sounded relieved. "No reason. So, what's going on with you? You sound happy."  
  
Riko laughed a little, and then said, "Yeah, I am! Well, today was actually quite horrible, but it ended well."  
  
At her words, Hyuuga immediately sounded concerned. "What happened?" Then, his voice took on a harsher tone. "It's not that Miracle brat, is it?"  
  
At the mention of Akashi, Riko felt her grin slowly fade away as she was reminded of him and she immediately went sober. "Actually, he is part of the reason." She leaned back on her pillows with a sigh. "I just don't understand him at all. I can't read him, or his expressions. Even when he says something, I question it a lot." She narrowed her eyes. "You know how I can normally read people quite well."  
  
"Yeah..." she heard Hyuuga sigh as well, on the phone. "Maybe it's a Miracles thing."  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Kuroko's really the best ever. He's so polite to all his senpai and he truly cares for the team. That is undeniable." Riko heard Hyuuga's assertion reverberate through the phone. "But...he's also very difficult to read. His face is just so emotionless."  
  
Riko grinned slightly as she heard him whine a little in his complaint. He just cared so much about his friends, of course he would be worried if he couldn't tell if his junior was upset or not. But at the mention of Kuroko, she was suddenly reminded of her strange training session today.  
  
"Actually, Hyuuga-kun, I wanted to tell you something." Riko took a deep breath. "Today, Akashi-kun brought me in to assist him with training a player, who's also a friend of mine. But it was so strange, because he was trying to teach him misdir-"  
  
"Wh-Wha-?  _Koganei?_ What are you-" Hyuuga suddenly blurted, before she could finish her story. She heard a commotion at Hyuuga's end.  
  
And then immediately after that, she heard him say, " _Kiyoshi?_  Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital?! What are you- what is  _everyone_ doing here!"  
  
Riko grinned broadly when she heard the sounds of her Seirin friends on the other end of the line. She hugged her knees, listening to Hyuuga spluttering and the animated sounds of her Seirin boys, while smiling fondly.  
  
Then, she heard the sound of Hyuuga's phone picked up by someone. "Riko?"  
  
She smiled even wider. "Teppei! How are you?"  
  
She could hear the smile in his voice as he replied, "I'm wonderful, Riko! Just now, when I was heading here from the hospital, I rescued a cat from a tree. Isn't that great?"  
  
Riko laughed, and said, "Yes, that's really nice, Teppei." Swallowing slightly, she continued, "Are you...alright?"  
  
"Of course I am, Riko! Don't worry about me. I can even walk without using crutches now. Ah, although I still can't go as fast as I used to. My recuperation still isn't complete."  
  
Hearing this, Riko smiled with relief that he was okay, even though she still felt slightly sad at the reminder of his injury. She hugged her knees tighter, to give herself some measure of comfort.  
  
"But thanks, Riko," she heard him continue. "And thanks, too, for distracting Hyuuga long enough for us to surprise him for his birthday."  
  
Riko laughed at that, and then said happily, "My pleasure."  
  
In the background, she could hear Koganei shouting as well, "Yeah, thanks Riko!" and after a brief pause, "Oh, Mitobe says thanks too!" And then she heard the sound of the phone being jostled, and suddenly she could hear Hyuuga's heavy breathing on the line.  
  
"I'm sorry, Riko!" she heard him pant. "I don't know what these  _idiots_ are doing, surprising me for my birthday when it's not for another few days! It's too early, dammit!"  
  
Hearing his voice again, along with all her other Seirin boys, Riko felt a pang of loneliness. She gripped her knees even tighter as she forced herself to keep smiling, to remain happy on Hyuuga's behalf. She couldn't be selfish.  
  
Then, several images emerged in her mind. Hayama laughing so hard on the court floor. The Shirtless Incident. Paragraphs of cursive writing on an excessively decorated card; a  _wasabi_ food stain.  
  
The sweet taste of the wonderfully cold ice lolly; Mayuzumi nonchalantly taking her wrapper and shoving it into his pocket.  
  
She felt herself smile more genuinely, and then she said gently into the phone, "Happy birthday, Hyuuga-kun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be in the previous chapter, plot-wise, but it got too long. Thus it feels like a never-ending day for Riko.


	9. Remnants from the Past

Akashi knocked on the door, the three clear knocks reverberating hollowly on the wooden door. After hearing a curt call, he opened the door leading to Shirogane's office and entered to see him with his arms crossed, and frowning.  
  
Akashi felt his own eyebrows furrow imperceptibly. That meant something wasn't right. Bad news was...inconvenient. It meant that his plans could not be executed smoothly. That his predictions were inaccurate.  
  
Shirogane didn't say anything as he continued looking at some documents on his desk. After standing there in silence for a moment, Akashi cleared his throat. Even if it was Shirogane, Akashi didn't have the patience to wait. He had things to do. People to see. Especially now, in this crucial period.  
  
At the sound, Shirogane looked up and turned to face Akashi. He grabbed the documents he had been frowning at on his desk, and handed it to Akashi, the sounds of the papers rustling filling the quiet office.  
  
"Akashi-kun. Take a look at this school."  
  
Akashi remained externally calm, but his mind was making swift deductions during the short moment he reached to take the documents from Shirogane. Shirogane rarely bothered about any other schools. Akashi could understand this; victory was always certain for Rakuzan, hence other schools were insignificant. If Shirogane was bothering with this one, it meant that unexpected developments had occurred involving this school.  
  
And Shirogane was frowning. This meant that he was slightly worried.  
  
When Akashi glanced at the heading of the topmost document, his frown deepened slightly. He suddenly felt like crushing the documents in his palms. _This_ was what Shirogane was worried about. It was insignificant, unobtrusive. Uninteresting.  
  
"Seirin High School."  
  
At the sound of Shirogane's voice, Akashi looked up and the sudden desire faded away. His face smoothened into its usual indifference.  
  
"They nearly defeated Kaijou High. The school with Kise Ryouta," Shirogane continued. He was still frowning as he looked at Akashi. "This no-name school lost to Kise Ryouta by only one point. And the other Kaijou players are not weak either. They have a nationally-reputed point guard."  
  
Shirogane's frown deepened as he continued looking at Akashi, who remained still even when looking at the documents.  
  
"They will be competing in the preliminaries of the Interhigh in order to represent their region in Tokyo. If they make it through, they will compete in the Interhigh against us-"  
  
"They won't."  
  
Akashi looked up from the document to face Shirogane as he spoke with certainty. "They won't make it through. They are weak, and this performance against Kaijou was a mere fluke. They will not be able to repeat it."  
  
"How certain are you?" said Shirogane. "I am hearing rumours, and whispers, that they will be the dark horse of the tournament. They have a player who returned from America. They say he is extremely talented."  _They say he is as talented as you, of the Generation of Miracles,_ went unsaid.  
  
"He is insignificant." Akashi rustled the papers slightly, and held them with distaste. "Not a threat in the slightest." Then, his eyes narrowed. "However, Seirin does have another player. A player who is...very skilled."  
  
As he spoke, he hid his slight disorientation. This conversation was making his head ache mildly. Blurred images were rapidly fleeting through Akashi's mind. A shogi piece, placed so carelessly near the complicated hidden attack route of his  _kakugyou_ (bishop). An effortless shot made from behind the backboard, and the subsequent grin, that was full of reckless joy. A flawless imitation hook shot of a hapless, insignificant opponent. An ice lolly nonchalantly offered to him. Sheets of data, presented in a beautiful, organised manner.  
  
The broad back of a tall, black-haired boy. And an expressionless face, but with eyes that revealed so much once observed carefully.  
  
But in just a second, the blurry images immediately faded away.  
  
Akashi blinked, and then his eyes grew hard as he looked at Shirogane, and continued, "He is the bigger threat, but nothing to be concerned about." He smiled, the corners of his lips delicately upturned. "One player, no matter how skilled, will not be victorious over a team of stronger players. This is only logical."  _And Rakuzan is the strongest._  
  
At Akashi's words, Shirogane's frown had smoothened. He nodded thoughtfully at Akashi's words.  
  
"You're sure this...player you talk about won't be a problem?"  
  
Akashi smiled his dignified, refined smile. "I am certain, sensei. He is inconsequential."  
  
The sharp memory of a surprised gaze, on a face usually so blank, reflected on a restroom mirror flashed in his mind.  _I have found a tool even more powerful than you, Tetsuya._ Then, he saw brown eyes filled with so much passion and slight suspicion in his mind's eye.  
  
 _And I found the perfect device to sharpen it._  
  
Akashi's smile broadened. "So you may shred these documents, sensei. We will not need them." He placed them delicately on the tabletop, as though touching them tainted his fingers.  
  
Shirogane had returned to his usual business-like expression. "Good. You are dismissed." And he turned back to his desk, pulling several students' notebooks towards him to grade.  
  
Akashi turned around immediately and headed back towards the first string gym where he had come from. He had to return to an important training session. Every minute of that training had to be productive if he wanted the tool to be effective during the summer.  
  
But as he strode towards the gym with his usual air of authoritativeness, he tried to shake off the lingering feeling of disquietude from the conversation.  
  
____  
  
"Hm, it's still slightly off," Riko said. "The ball hit the rim of the hoop very slightly earlier. Try it again?"  
  
Mayuzumi did as she asked, and made a jump shot.  
  
Riko was training Mayuzumi in one of his private training sessions and Akashi had been with them until a student came in and told him that Shirogane-sensei had summoned him. After ordering them to continue practising, he swiftly left, a slight frown marring his usually taciturn visage. Even though several training sessions had already passed in which she had to train Mayuzumi with Akashi observing, Riko thought she would never be used to his disconcerting gaze. It was something about the look inside them, which stood out so contrastingly on Akashi's perfect, inscrutable face. It was jarring and uncomfortable, and so Riko spent most of each training session ignoring him and focusing on training Mayuzumi. If she didn't ignore him, she felt she would have confronted him with gritted teeth.  
  
The ball flew into the hoop with a whoosh, from Mayuzumi's jump shot. He turned to look at Riko, to gauge her response to his shot.  
  
She frowned slightly in thought. "Let me see your hand."  
  
As she looked at Mayuzumi's hand, Riko said, "The problem with what Akashi-kun's asking is that he wants you to be incredibly accurate in shooting, but he wants you to be good in passing too." She traced his palm. "But passing requires the heavy use of your palms whereas," here, she ran her fingers over his, "shooting requires precise control from your fingers."  
  
She looked up towards Mayuzumi's face. "I'm trying to help you develop in a balanced manner between these two skills and it's going very well, but..." Her frown deepened. "Your accuracy in shooting is not developing as quickly as Akashi-kun wants because of what I'm doing now, with your carefully balanced development."  
  
Mayuzumi frowned as well. "Jeez...then I'd rather just focus on shooting." He sighed slightly. "But Akashi's adamant about the passing."  
  
"Yeah," said Riko, scowling. "How's your misdirection training going?"  
  
"Fine," he replied, shrugging. "But Akashi's never satisfied with my skill. He always lectures me by mentioning that Tetsuya guy. Saying how much more nuanced his misdirection technique is compared to mine."  
  
"Akashi-kun's asking for too much," said Riko with gritted teeth. "Aside from passing and shooting accuracy,  _and_ misdirection, he wants you to quicken your reflexes as well so that you can make accurate shots immediately." Her frown lessened slightly as she thought for a while. "I can see his point though. There's no use getting away from opponents to make your shots if you're not fast or accurate enough to make them."  
  
"Yeah," said Mayuzumi, taking his hand away from Riko's. "It's hard to argue with him when he always makes such rational arguments."  
  
"Yes we can!" exclaimed Riko immediately. "His expectations are too ridiculously high. We play basketball because it's fun first and foremost, not to tick off a checklist of abilities and skills." She huffed. "I refuse to help you for Akashi-kun's sake. I'm doing all this for you, for  _your_ development. To help you develop your own basketball." She smiled at Mayuzumi. "So I'm not going to bother about Akashi-kun."  
  
As she finished by broadening her smile, Mayuzumi just looked at her in response. There was an unreadable look in his eyes, which were slightly widened, and his eyebrows were slightly furrowed.  
  
"Anyway, let's work on your shooting accuracy in combination with your reflexes now," said Riko, shifting to business-like manner. "Try switching between different types of shots. But do it relatively slowly first, so that I can assess how good each shot is. I want to properly observe your hands during each shot."  
  
Mayuzumi was still just looking at her.  
  
"Mayuzumi-senpai?"  
  
At her call, he blinked suddenly, and then shifted slightly. Quirking his lips into a small smile, he said, "Sure." He walked towards a basketball on the floor. "How about this then?"  
  
Mayuzumi lazily picked up the ball and made an effortless jump shot. Riko opened her mouth to comment, but he continued, "And what about this?"  
  
He picked up another ball and did a careless hook shot. The ball flew into the hoop flawlessly.  
  
"Hey, wait-"  
  
"And this?" Mayuzumi interrupted, and just did a normal shot. Once again, the ball whooshed into the net. Riko quickly opened her mouth and said, "I was going to say-"  
  
"And now this is my free throw," Mayuzumi cut across her again, and took a step to the free throw line. He shot a perfect free throw shot right through the hoop, and the ball bounced hard on the court floor as it fell.  
  
"Mayuzumi-senpai!"  
  
Mayuzumi turned to look at Riko, whose hands were clenched into fists and she was slightly red out of irritation. She could swear she could see his lips twitching, even though his face was in its usual blank state.  
  
"What, Riko?"  
  
Riko sighed, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she said to Mayuzumi, "You're doing it too fast. I can't see your hands properly, especially since you're moving around so quickly to do these different shots."  
  
"Hm." Mayuzumi nodded. "Okay, I understand."  
  
Riko smiled.  
  
He turned around, moving to pick up a ball, and Riko watched him closely, but before she could analyse him properly, he turned back to her. And she suddenly couldn't see anything.  
  
Because there was  _a hand literally an inch from her face._  
  
"Can you see my hand properly now?"  
  
"Mayuzumi-senpai!" blurted Riko, before she drew back out of reflex. He pulled his hand away, and said, "What about this hand then?"  
  
And then Riko could only see his other hand, also only an inch from her face.  
  
Riko burst out laughing, and then she lifted her own hand to swat his away. Before she made contact, however, he had moved his away, brushing his fingers over the fringe of her hair and sweeping it gently towards her ear. As her vision cleared when his hand moved, she caught a hint of tenderness in his eyes, and she smiled fondly in response.  
  
"What are you both doing."  
  
Riko jumped slightly at the sound of Akashi's voice, and whipped around to see Akashi standing at the door to their private court, his eyebrows in a slight furrow. Riko blinked at that; it was so unusual to see him out of his unruffled state. She could see a slight wrinkle between his eyebrows, the line as delicate and refined as the rest of him. But his eyes revealed a hidden anger.  
  
Mayuzumi moved away from her to pick up a ball and do more shots. Riko glared at Akashi, meeting his anger face to face.  
  
"I'm trying to assess Mayuzumi-senpai's shooting accuracy between different shots. It will help him improve during offense."  _And it's what you wanted, Akashi-kun._  
  
"Yes," Akashi said, still frowning. "He  _must_ be an accurate shooter." He walked up to stand next to her, from where he was previously at the door. They both silently watched Mayuzumi as he did his shots, switching between the different types.  
  
"Riko."  
  
Riko turned to face Akashi. He was imperiously looking down from his height at her, directly into her eye.  
  
"The school you were previously from...it was Seirin High School."  
  
Riko frowned slightly. Was that a question? "Yes."  
  
The furrow in Akashi's eyebrows deepened. The delicate wrinkle became even more pronounced, but it still looked appealing on Akashi's perfect, symmetrical face.  
  
"You coached them during the Interhigh last summer."  
  
"Yes," said Riko, shuffling slightly on the spot as she remembered the heartbreak. "We got all the way to the final league, but lost there."  
  
But she was surprised to see Akashi's eyes suddenly reveal anger at her words. The look in his eyes complemented the furrow in his eyebrow, both forming an immaculate, balanced composition on his refined face. But it was both daunting and magnetising at the same time. And despite the crushing pressure she normally felt with his gaze, that was somehow amplified by the look of anger, she couldn't look away from his beautiful face.  
  
"You helped Seirin advance to the final league.  _Seirin."_  
  
Riko couldn't look away from his eyes, they were so enticing, they were drawing her in. She felt her pride writhing inside her, out of pleasure, out of torture.  
  
"Of course. Seirin was my school, I coached for them."  
  
Akashi continued pinning her down with his mesmerising look, and Riko felt a mounting sense of claustrophobia. Then suddenly, the anger disappeared. Like it was sucked into a vacuum. The furrow in his eyebrow smoothened, and his face returned to its usual composure.  
  
But his eyes looked blank, this time, they were completely devoid of anything. The nothingness contrasted starkly with the terrible beauty that previously shone from his eyes.  
  
"'Of course. Seirin was your school,'" Akashi repeated. He turned away from her to look at Mayuzumi, who was still practising his shooting, and she felt herself release a breath she hadn't known she was holding. Her pride settled from its writhing. It had been such a strange feeling.  
  
"The past." She heard him say quietly. She raised an eyebrow, still looking at him, but he didn't seem to be talking to her. He was observing Mayuzumi.  
  
Then, he suddenly blinked, and his usual imperiousness returned to his eyes. He strode towards Mayuzumi, with business-like demeanour. Mayuzumi stopped his shooting to look at Akashi.  
  
"Chihiro, you have to keep practising your shooting. Until you reach hundred percent accuracy," said Akashi, the sternness in his voice evident. "But I want you to do something else as well."  
  
"What," Riko said.  
  
Ignoring her, Akashi continued, "I want you to practise under pressure. I intended for you to do this once you reached hundred percent accuracy on your shooting, but even after this many training sessions, you still have not reached that point. And we are running out of time."  
  
"So you have to do it in tandem." He turned to look at Riko. "I want him to practise clutch shooting."  
  
Immediately, a vision of Hyuuga performing his three-pointers flooded Riko's mind. The resoluteness in his eyes, his unwavering faith in Kiyoshi under the net.  
  
"That's...just-"  
  
"A good way to practise this is to impose pressure on yourself every time you make a shot during practice," Akashi said to Mayuzumi, ignoring Riko once again. "Think of some ideas, and let me know during the next misdirection training session. From there, I will deduce what would be the best method to implement the stressful feeling during a clutch shot."  
  
"That's too much, Akashi-kun."  
  
Riko finally managed to speak up, and both Akashi and Mayuzumi turned to look at her. She took a deep breath, and continued, "You're rushing him too much, Akashi-kun. You're packing his training menu with too many things, there's no focus."  
  
"Riko, don't make me repeat this," said Akashi, impatience slipping into his tone. "This is Rakuzan. We have standards to adhere to. Chihiro isn't an excellent player, so he needs all these additional advantages if he wants to remain as starting regular."  
  
Riko glared at Akashi, and opened her mouth to argue, but Mayuzumi interrupted her.  
  
"Yeah, I'll do that, Akashi."  
  
Riko's eyes widened and she whipped around to look at Mayuzumi. He had the determination that reminded her so much of Hyuuga in his eyes.  
  
"I want to be a better player," he continued. "It's my responsibility to the team, no matter how difficult it is to get to that point."  
  
"But senpai-"  
  
"Good," said Akashi briskly. He turned to Riko and pinned her with an authoritative look. "You want him to achieve excellence, do you not? This is the only way."  
  
Riko gritted her teeth. She felt that she was on the verge of raising her voice at him in anger. He always twisted the things she cared about to his own advantage.  
  
She felt a hand patting her head. Looking up, she saw that it was Mayuzumi, who was giving her a reassuring look.  
  
"Don't worry, Riko, I'll buy you more ice lollies since I'll be relying on you more during training."  
  
Riko sighed exasperatedly, and opened her mouth to reply, but Akashi suddenly said, "Ice lollies?"  
  
Both Mayuzumi and Riko turned to look at Akashi. Riko blinked in surprise, because his eyebrows were furrowed once more.  
  
"Yeah," said Mayuzumi, shuffling uncomfortably. "Uh...do...you want some?"  
  
Immediately, the anger that was in Akashi's eyes before came back. But it only remained in his eyes for a second, because right after that, it disappeared once again. He turned away, and walked towards the exit.  
  
With his back facing the two of them, he said, "That will not be necessary." He continued walking as he continued, "Chihiro, this training session is over. Return to the usual gym to join the rest on their practice."  
  
"Sure," Mayuzumi called at Akashi's back, but he just left without turning back.  
  
Mayuzumi turned around and started packing up his things in preparation to return to the other gym. But Riko remained standing there as he bustled around. She was still staring after Akashi's back, with narrowed eyes, and thinking about his strange behaviour.  
  
____  
  
" _Jeez,_ can't you do  _anything_ right?" Hayama said exasperatedly, glaring at Mayuzumi, who was panting heavily, his hands on his knees and looking at the court floor. "It's receive pass from Reo-nee, run towards the three-point line and then pass to me!  _Sheesh..._ "  
  
Mayuzumi didn't reply, and just continued panting.  
  
He had returned to the first string gym to see Hayama, Mibuchi and Nebuya just finishing their shooting drills and about to begin practising formations. Nebuya had walked up to him and curtly told him to join them, as a starting regular. They were now practising an offensive formation, and the pass routes involved in it, simulating it in a practice match. Akashi was nowhere to be found, so they had replaced the point guard position with another first stringer who was also looking at Mayuzumi with distaste.  
  
Mayuzumi had just received a pass from Mibuchi and had dribbled towards the line, but the opposing first-stringers in the practice match were so good and so agile that one of them had stolen the ball and dribbled towards their end of the court. Mibuchi and Hayama had immediately ran back to defend but the opposing team had a head start, so although both of them had reached the hoop with great speed, the ball had already been thrown into the hoop.  
  
Mayuzumi knew that his stamina and speed had definitely improved over the course of the training he had had with Riko and Akashi, but it was still less compared to the Uncrowned Kings and the other first stringers. He still had a lot to improve on.  
  
Frowning, Mayuzumi straightened up, and looked at Hayama in the eye.  
  
"I know. I'm sorry. I was careless to let the opponent steal the ball."  
  
"'Careless'?" Nebuya walked up to Mayuzumi with a frown and angry sneer. "More like  _stupid_ and  _idiotic._ How could you let such an easy steal happen?" His frown deepened. "I was all ready for an offensive rebound too."  
  
"You're not dribbling and running fast enough," said Mibuchi, walking up to Mayuzumi too, who was surrounded by Hayama and Nebuya. "That's why the opponent stole the ball."  
  
"Yeah. I'll do better next time."  
  
"And just how are you going to do that?" Hayama snorted and crossed his arms violently. "We won't be able to practise offensive formations if you can't even get from point A to point B before letting the ball get stolen."  
  
"I'll dribble faster next time."  
  
"Yeah, right," said Hayama sarcastically. He ran the back of his hand over Mayuzumi's neck and made a disgusted face at the liquid left on it. "You're sweating too much, I just  _know_ you don't have the energy." He moved to wipe his hand on Mibuchi's jersey, but Mibuchi squeaked and stepped away quickly. So Hayama wiped it on Mayuzumi's jersey instead, a harsh scowl on his face the entire time.  
  
"Why the hell is your stamina so fucking low?" Nebuya growled. He crossed his muscled arms bad-temperedly. "Train  _more_ , dammit. You're a starting regular."  
  
"Yeah, I'm working on it."  
  
"You're tooslow!" said Hayama. He took a step forward to push Mayuzumi in his frustration, but before he could, he was suddenly stopped by Riko, who had dashed in between them.  
  
"Hayama-kun, calm down," she said with gritted teeth, glaring at him. " _All_ of you calm down." She turned her head to scowl at the other boys, whose expressions immediately changed as she looked at them.  
  
"But  _Riko,_ " Hayama whined angrily. He pointed at Mayuzumi behind Riko, extending his arm above her shoulder. "He's totally messing up our practice! We can't do  _anything_ with him being so  _weak_ and  _pathetic_."  
  
"Yeah," Mibuchi agreed, crossing his arms as he frowned at Mayuzumi. "Riko-chan, we can't even finish one offensive formation without it breaking down  _because_ of him."  
  
"He's just  _so bad,_ " Nebuya complained as well, directing a glare at Mayuzumi. "He's fucking  _terrible_ at this."  
  
"Just give it some time," said Riko with gritted teeth. "He's improving at a very good rate already. He just needs the time to practise, then he will do the formation perfectly, I assure you."  
  
Hayama threw his hands in the air, making an incoherent sound of frustration. "Y-you-! Ugh! And  _him_!  _Always_ him!" Hayama threw Mayuzumi an intense glare and his hands moved towards Riko's shoulders to clasp them, but before he touched her, he suddenly withdrew them as though burned. Riko blinked in surprise at his frustrated actions.  
  
Mayuzumi raised his eyebrows slightly as well. This guy seemed like such an immature child.  
  
Mibuchi and Nebuya just sighed, and then Nebuya said, "Riko-chan, it's nearly summer already. He's improving too slowly." He threw Mayuzumi a glare. "I don't even know why he's a starting regular."  
  
Mayuzumi felt as though his words cut through him like a shard of glass.  
  
"I  _told_ you, just give it some time," said Riko, a hint of desperation and frustration in her tone. "He's doing a lot of special training with Akashi-kun and I. You will definitely be able to depend on him in a match." She turned around to smile at Mayuzumi. "I am certain of it."  
  
At her smile, Mayuzumi felt warmth flood through his body. It was comforting, it soothed the wound he felt earlier. He felt as though he could just watch her forever, seeing her strength, and seeing her fight for her naive ideals with so much confidence and whole-heartedness. He didn't know how she remained that way in Rakuzan, of all places. He hoped she wouldn't change. He felt an irrational need to shield her from the poison, and the creeping pressure of Rakuzan.  
  
Hayama had made another muffled sound of frustration, and he stomped his foot down, hard, making Riko turn back to him at the loud sound. His hands moved towards Riko's shoulders again, but jerked back once more. After looking at Riko with an angry frown, he turned around and stomped off to return to his position for the offensive formation they were practising. Mibuchi and Nebuya sighed again, Nebuya shaking his head at Riko.  
  
He turned towards Mayuzumi with a glare. "She'd better be right, Mayuzumi."  
  
Then both he and Mibuchi turned around to go back to their positions as well. Riko sighed at their behaviour and glared after their retreating backs. Then she turned around to smile at Mayuzumi again. He felt the warmth again.  
  
"So I have to help the third string now, but you'll be fine during this formation practice. Your dribbling and passing  _are_ improving very well." She clapped him on the shoulder, and turned to walk away.  
  
Mayuzumi just nodded at her, and watched her as she left. Then he moved back to his position during the formation.  
  
And even though he still got the ball stolen multiple times during the subsequent practice times, causing Hayama to yell at him again and Nebuya to swear at him, he didn't bother about them too much. He was thinking about something else.  
  
He felt like buying an ice lolly.  
  
____  
  
  
Akashi placed down the documents he had been looking at on the table with a little more force than he intended. He frowned slightly at himself and his actions.  
  
He had still been feeling the dysphoria since that conversation with Shirogane even though several days had already passed. It irritated him. Akashi had complete control over his emotions. The malaise was driving him out of his usual rhythm, it was infringing on his thinking.  
  
The lack of control over this bothered him.  
  
A knock on the door to the training room interrupted his thoughts and he looked up to see Mayuzumi enter with his gym bag. He immediately felt a sense of security assuage his slight distress. This was something he had complete control over. He arranged his face into a polite smile at Mayuzumi, who walked up to him with usual blank expression.  
  
"Chihiro. Good. You're here." Akashi stood up from the bench he had been sitting on and turned to walk towards the centre of the training room. "Let's practise your misdirection now."  
  
"I thought about the pressuring thing we talked about the other day," said Mayuzumi as he followed Akashi to the centre of the room after throwing his bag by the side of the room. "And I do have an idea. I think I should-"  
  
"We will discuss this after practising your misdirection," interrupted Akashi. He walked behind Mayuzumi, and bent his knees slightly, then extended his arms in a screening position. "Try to escape my defence."  
  
Mayuzumi frowned at the interruption, but after a moment, did as he asked. He glanced around the room for an attention-grabbing object and decided to use a backboard with a broken hoop lying in the corner. Then he focused his gaze on Akashi's eyes, maintaining eye contact.  
  
After a second, he shifted his body and his hands to make a slight gesture towards the backboard, looking carefully at Akashi all the while. When he saw a slight shift in Akashi's pupils, he quickly moved away and darted silently across the room. Stopping at the other end of the room, he let out a breath and looked up to see Akashi already standing next to him.  
  
Mayuzumi frowned at him, and crossed his arms. "So how was that?" he asked.  
  
Akashi was scrutinising Mayuzumi, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. He let out a quiet breath, then said, "You managed to direct my attention but it wasn't long enough. I had enough time to reach you even though you escaped."  
  
Mayuzumi sighed, and then scratched his hair as he said, "Well, it's harder in a silent room like this with only the two of us. There's barely anything else to direct your attention to."  
  
"Which is why this more challenging arrangement will help you improve your misdirection technique. Try it again."  
  
Mayuzumi attempted misdirection several more times. Sometimes he could direct Akashi's attention, but Akashi was always already by his side even as he escaped. Other times, he couldn't even direct Akashi's attention away. But he improved every time, even if it was at a slow rate.  
  
Akashi felt himself frowning again as the practice went on. Each time Mayuzumi failed but tried again, he felt the disquietude return. Each time Mayuzumi tried and succeeded, he felt the restless feeling stir within him. Finally, after glancing at Mayuzumi's slight smile of satisfaction when he succeeded misdirection again, he felt the furrow in his eyebrow deepen, and he straightened up from his defensive screening position.  
  
Mayuzumi looked at him questioningly, and Akashi just said, "That's enough practice for now. We will continue the next time."  
  
Mayuzumi nodded and they both went to sit on the benches by the side of the room. Akashi picked up a water bottle and drank it. Mayuzumi rummaged in his bag and pulled out a water bottle, then drank it too. The quiet sounds of his drinking filled the air, and then as he pulled the bottle away from his mouth, it made a smacking sound. He capped the water bottle, then turned to Akashi.  
  
"So as I was saying earlier, I thought about what I could do to inflict the pressure during my shooting practice."  
  
Akashi continued drinking silently, taking elegant, refined sips, but listened closely.  
  
"I think I should do it so that every time I miss a shot, I have to run a couple of rounds around the gym," continued Mayuzumi. He quirked his lips upwards in grim satisfaction. "That way, I do feel the pressure, but I can build my stamina along with it."  
  
"No."  
  
Mayuzumi turned quickly to look at Akashi.  
  
Akashi took the bottle away from his mouth and directed a steady gaze at Mayuzumi. "That is not enough pressure. I do agree that you have to continue building your stamina, but you should do that separately." His gaze bore into Mayuzumi. "The pressure needs to be stronger. It needs to have a sense of desperation about it."  
  
"I don't know what to tell you, Akashi, this is just what I came up with..."  
  
"I have thought about what will inflict the most pressure on you," said Akashi. He lifted a hand to rub his forehead; he felt a mild headache coming. He felt the dysphoria returning, creeping over him. Frowning slightly, he ignored it, and said, "Shirogane has a grading system for both players and assistant coaches."  
  
Mayuzumi raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in subject.  
  
Ignoring it, Akashi continued, "Players need to score a certain amount of points, or be at a certain level in order to remain in the first string. It is the same for the assistant coaches." He directed a firm gaze at Mayuzumi, who shuffled slightly. "Shirogane grades them using his own form of metric. How much they have developed players' physical abilities. The ideas they contribute to training regimens. The strategies they suggest for offensive and defensive plays."  
  
As he tried to process Akashi's words, Mayuzumi was starting to frown slightly.  
  
"He totals up all the points achieved for each criteria into a numerical grade to decide which string they coach, whether they can come to matches to assist him, those sorts of things," Akashi continued. "If a first-string assistant coach has a low-grade performance, that individual will be relegated to the second string or third string. If a low-grade performance is obtained multiple times, that coach is then told to resign immediately."  
  
At this, Mayuzumi's eyes were beginning to widen.  
  
Akashi turned away from him and lifted the bottle to his mouth, as he went on, "I have access to all of these grade reports, for both the players and the assistant coaches." He turned to look at Mayuzumi again, bearing his steely gaze on him. "Every time you miss a shot, I will reduce Riko's performance grade by one point."  
  
____  
  
  
Mayuzumi continued staring at Akashi with widened eyes, struggling to rein in his surprise and anger. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, as Akashi drank from the water bottle.  
  
Akashi's words evoked many images in his mind. The image of Riko motivating and encouraging the third-stringers. Of Riko carrying stacks of foolscap papers filled with scribbles of her ideas and basketball strategies into the Rakuzan gyms. Of Riko trailing after a weary Shirogane, overwhelming him with one training routine idea after another.  
  
Of himself, working so hard to be acknowledged in the first string. Of the disappointment in Shirogane's eyes as he executed a three-pointer that just wasn't as good as Mibuchi's. The injustice of what Akashi was suggesting rankled him; it hit too closely to the reason he quit basketball to begin with.   
  
Opening his eyes, and letting out a breath, he said, "Akashi, hang on a minute. What does Riko have to do with any of this? It's  _my_ shooting. She doesn't have to be affected by it." He struggled to keep the even tone of his voice, and his blank expression. "It doesn't make sense that you're punishing her for my mistakes."  
  
Akashi took the bottle away from his mouth and rubbed his forehead again. Mayuzumi had never seen him make such an unnecessary, mundane gesture.  
  
"It makes complete sense." Akashi turned to look at Mayuzumi, his gaze hard and steady. "Riko cares about coaching the players. She perhaps coaches the third string players too much." He sniffed in contempt. "That is obvious to anyone who looks at her." His gaze bore into Mayuzumi, and Mayuzumi tried not to look away. "And you care about Riko."  
  
Mayuzumi felt a mounting sense of desperation within him.  
  
"Therefore, it makes logical sense to punish Riko for the shots you miss. This will put considerable pressure on you." Akashi turned his head to look at Mayuzumi from the corner of his eye. "I suspect that this would be an even greater pressure than the threat of losing your spot on the team."  
  
 _"How could he have known?"_ Mayuzumi thought desperately.  _"I never revealed anything."_  
  
"The threat of someone else taking the fall from your mistakes should affect you more than just a punishment on your self. That is your character," said Akashi. Then, he paused in thought for a while. "Or perhaps I could add more pressure if I modify your grade too. But we shall see how this works first."  
  
"Akashi, this is ridiculous," said Mayuzumi, trying to keep distress from his tone. "You don't have to go this far. The sprinting will work fine."  
  
"Hm." Akashi placed the elegant knuckle of his forefinger on his chin. "Will it work? All I am certain about is that  _this_  will work."  
  
"I don't want to develop my clutch shooting if this has to happen."  
  
There was a long silence, during which Mayuzumi just continued looking at Akashi, who still had a knuckle on his well-shaped chin. Then, Akashi turned to look at Mayuzumi fully again. "What do you think Riko will say if you do that?" His gaze became harder. "After she has done so much to help you?"  
  
His words resonated in the quiet room. Mayuzumi blinked, and he looked towards the ground, feeling his eyebrows furrow.  
  
Akashi continued, "And what do you think she will say about this training method?" Then he suddenly smiled, an exquisite upturn of his lips. "The alternative method, I will tell her, is to reduce your grading instead. And Shirogane is already very lenient with you because of me."  
  
Mayuzumi felt like swallowing, the desperation was pressing against his throat.  
  
Akashi let out a quiet sigh, while closing his eyes. "Riko  _does_ care so much about the development of her players. About  _your_ development. She would agree to any unusual training methods as long as it benefits the players." He opened his eyes and looked at Mayuzumi again. " _Especially_ if there are no risks to the players themselves. Like this method."  
  
Mayuzumi felt anger rise inside him. He stood up, hands itching to clench into fists. "No, Akashi, Riko would never agree to this. It doesn't make any sense at all."  
  
"Are you certain?"  
  
Akashi's gaze bore into Mayuzumi and he felt suffocated.  _No. I'm not. The girl's ridiculously naive._ The memory of Riko standing in front of him and facing against Hayama materialised in his mind.  _She does the most incomprehensible things._  
  
It felt like such a long time as they continued looking at each other, Mayuzumi slowly feeling the anxiety within him balloon and press against his throat. It was so strange; Mayuzumi had never felt such intense desperation before.  
  
Then Akashi crossed his arms and legs, and turned away from Mayuzumi to think. "Well, let us compromise then. Since you seem so unhappy with this arrangement." He looked back at Mayuzumi with an elegant smile. "And you are my senpai after all."  
  
To Mayuzumi, his words sounded mocking.  
  
Akashi let out a quiet breath, and uncrossed his legs. "I have been meaning to test your abilities in a match." He directed a steady gaze at Mayuzumi. "In a fortnight, I plan to have a match between you and the rest of the team. A two-on-two match." He smiled again. "I have noticed that relations haven't been very good within the team. Perhaps a friendly game would iron out the conflict."  
  
He stopped smiling, and his gaze became even steelier. "If you win that match, I will drop this arrangement after the two weeks. The victory would prove that you have mastered clutch shooting. And you can continue practising under pressure using that method you suggested." He lifted his hand to do a dismissive wave. "That sprinting method."  
  
"Okay," Mayuzumi said immediately. He frowned at himself. The measure Akashi had suggested was so preposterous, yet he was sure Akashi would implement it without a second thought. If only he had more time to think of a solution out of this situation. If only he could make a better argument against Akashi.  
  
But he didn't have the time. And when Akashi was still in this...merciful mood, for lack of a better word, Mayuzumi would take this chance to prevent the prolonging of this unbelievable method, before Akashi changed his mind.  
  
Akashi nodded at Mayuzumi with another refined smile, and said, "Good." Then, he suddenly frowned, and rubbed his forehead again.  
  
This time, Mayuzumi didn't take notice of his unusual gesture. Because he was thinking of his shooting practice.  
  
That ice lolly would have to wait.


	10. Disintegration

Mayuzumi threw the ball for the thirtieth time that day, and the ball flew into the hoop in a perfect arc, emitting a whoosh as it brushed the net.  
  
Feeling the furrow in his eyebrow acutely, he bent down to pick up another ball, then straightened up into a shooting position for the thirty-first time that day.  
  
It had only been a week since he properly started his clutch shooting practice with the pressure of Akashi reducing Riko's assistant coach grade, and he was already feeling the stress creep and hang over him, an overbearing constant presence. He felt the frown on his face consciously, a perpetual feature on his expression. He never usually expressed this much.  
  
In seven days, Mayuzumi had already missed more than ten shots. Every time he missed one, he hid the severe flinch on his face, glancing at Akashi from the corner of his eye. In the subsequent days of him missing a shot, he obsessively observed Riko and Shirogane to notice any changes, but nothing seemed to have happened. Riko continued to trail after Shirogane, chattering incessantly about her ideas, and Shirogane just continued to ignore her most of the time, an eyebrow twitching.  
  
But it was still stressful, knowing what could happen if he missed too many shots.  
  
Part of Mayuzumi remembered a time in Rakuzan when this would have been the perfect arrangement for him. It would have been so easy, deceiving Akashi into believing that he actually cared about Riko, and then taking his time perfecting his shots. Zero cost to him, and maximum benefit. He had been so desperate to play in a match. To win in a match.  
  
That part whispered to him in a voice that sounded like Akashi,  _just forget about her. Be selfish. Be ruthless. Every man for himself. That is Rakuzan's basketball._  
  
It was very tempting to give in. It felt like a more natural response to him, rather than just taking all this stress for the sake of another person. He didn't even know where he got the motivation to go through all this.  
  
But the sweet taste of a melting ice lolly stilled the voice, and the temptation.  
  
And so, Mayuzumi continued to practise his shots, his frown deepening with the ball's every brush of the hoop as it flew in.  
  
  
____  
  
  
Riko looked at Mayuzumi practising his shooting with narrowed eyes.  
  
He had been so strange all week. She got the sense that he had been ready to snap. But it didn't make any sense, because he had been improving so much with his shooting. His shooting had become remarkably accurate over the course of the week. He was already barely missing any shots. The speed of his improvement even outpaced Hyuuga's when she used to train him.  
  
He had become so distant with her too. She felt so confused. The friendly dynamic they had established over the course of their private training sessions together seemed to have disappeared all of a sudden. They never went for their regular ice lolly sessions anymore. He barely said a word to her during their training sessions together or regular practice, only nodding curtly when she approached him to correct him, or suggest an improvement.  
  
Like now.  
  
"Mayuzumi-senpai, hold on a moment."  
  
He paused in the middle of executing his hook shot. But he didn't turn towards her, he just continued looking at the hoop.  
  
Riko cleared her throat and walked towards him. He still didn't look at her. She extended her hands to adjust the position of his arms. Glancing at his face, she frowned slightly. She could have sworn he winced imperceptibly at her touch, but his face was now smoothly inscrutable again.  
  
"For a hook shot, it'll be more comfortable if you bent the elbow of your shooting arm outwards a little, about 130 degrees from your chest. Right now it's slightly strained since it's bent inwards."  
  
As she said that, she pushed his arms to adjust them, but he quickly did it himself before she could touch him longer. He threw the ball towards the hoop, and it flew in flawlessly. Then he turned to her, gave a curt nod, and walked away from her to pick up another ball for another shot.  
  
Riko was left standing there looking after him with slightly widened eyes, feeling nonplussed at his coldness.  
  
"Riko-chan~! Look at me!"  
  
She blinked and shook her head slightly to clear her mind of the sight of Mayuzumi walking away, his back lonely and cold, then turned towards the voice to see Mibuchi waving at her. He quirked a cheerful smile, then threw a three-pointer from where he stood. The arc was beautiful and magnificent, and the ball flew straight into the hoop in one fluid motion.  
  
Rolling her eyes, she walked towards Mibuchi with a smile. As she stopped next to him, she said, "Perfect three-pointer as usual, Mibuchi-kun." He crinkled his eyes at her merrily.  
  
"Yeah, his shots are always so good," Hayama grumbled, next to Mibuchi. "Check out  _my_ dunk!" He grabbed a ball from the ground with one hand, then dashed towards the hoop, with the ferocity and power of a wild animal. Taking a running leap, he jumped towards the hoop, and slammed the ball in with so much force that the hoop vibrated, letting out a metallic rattle.  
  
Hayama jumped down agilely from the hoop...and landed right on Nebuya, who had been standing next to it.  
  
"Oi! You piece of-" Nebuya yelled, as he struggled to get up from under Hayama, who was sprawled on top of him.  
  
Riko laughed as she moved forward and extended a hand to help Hayama up. Mibuchi went forward as well, to help Nebuya. As Riko stood in between Nebuya and Hayama, placing her hands on Nebuya's chest to prevent him from lunging at Hayama, she saw Mayuzumi looking at their group, from her peripheral vision. He was frowning slightly as he surveyed them.  
  
His lone figure cut an isolated picture from the rest of the first string.  
  
"Starting regulars, gather round me."  
  
Riko tore her eyes away from Mayuzumi, and turned towards Shirogane-sensei, who was standing by the side of the gym with his arms crossed. She followed the three boys as they walked towards Shirogane-sensei, Nebuya still swearing at Hayama next to him, and Hayama shaking his head and putting his hands over his ears.  
  
When Shirogane-sensei saw her standing next to the boys, in between Akashi and Hayama, he sighed. "Aida..." Riko just crossed her arms, and tried to make her stance more resolute. He had suddenly switched to calling her 'Aida' some time between her eighty-ninth and ninetieth basketball strategy suggestion. She wondered if it reminded him of her father.  
  
"It's fine, sensei, she can be here for this announcement. She has helped Chihiro tremendously."  
  
Riko whipped her head around to look at Akashi next to her, her eyes slightly narrowed. He was looking at Shirogane-sensei, his polite, refined smile in place.  
  
Shirogane-sensei lifted a hand to wave dismissively, and said, "Fine. It does not matter to me." He turned towards the rest of the starting regulars, who looked serious and were raptly paying attention.  
  
"Akashi-kun has requested a practice match amongst the starting regulars. A two-on-two match. To test Mayuzumi-kun, to see his progress and how much he has improved," said Shirogane-sensei. Riko's eyes widened, and she felt anticipation fill her body. She glanced at Mayuzumi excitedly but he didn't react at all to the announcement.  
  
"I agree with Akashi-kun that I would like to assess his progress, especially before the training camp which is fast approaching, so that I can plan his training during that week," continued Shirogane-sensei. He glared at Mayuzumi sternly. "This will not be a major match. Just a small one, so that Akashi-kun and I can measure the team's strengths and weaknesses. And determine how well Mayuzumi fits in the team."  
  
Hayama crossed his arms and looked away with a scowl. Riko heard Nebuya hide a sigh next to Hayama, and felt like reaching over to punch his shoulder.  
  
"The match will be held next Saturday morning, in one of the private courts in the first string gym. The people who will play are Mayuzumi-kun, Mibuchi-kun, Nebuya-kun and Hayama-kun. Akashi-kun and I will assess your performances," said Shirogane-sensei, looking at each player as he said their names. "I have also requested some other assistant coaches to observe the match. And..." He sighed heavily, then he looked at Riko. "You may be one of them, Aida."  
  
Riko bristled at his weary tone.  
  
"As for the teams-"  
  
"I have decided on the split, Shirogane-sensei," said Akashi, taking over. Shirogane-sensei just gave a nod, and let him continue. Akashi turned to look at the boys with a hard gaze. "The teams will be Eikichi partnering with Reo, and Kotarou partnering with Chihiro."  
  
"WHAT."  
  
Akashi turned to look at Hayama, who was panting heavily and pointing at Mayuzumi. Mibuchi and Nebuya quickly hid sighs of relief.  
  
"No! I  _refuse_! I don't want to partner with  _him_!" Hayama yelled. "He's  _terrible_ at basketball!"  
  
Shirogane-sensei had frowned at Hayama's yelling and opened his mouth to lecture him, and Riko whacked Hayama's shoulder angrily and started to say something too. But Akashi cut across both of them to say, "Kotarou."  
  
Akashi waited until Hayama turned to look at him.  
  
"Chihiro is going to be a future teammate. It will be beneficial for you to practise cooperating with him for as many matches as possible." He pinned Hayama, who was still panting slightly, with a stern gaze. "And  _you_ are the person who has the most conflict with Chihiro during nearly every practice session."  
  
"That's not true! Eikichi swears at him all the time!" Hayama said indignantly, pointing at Nebuya. Nebuya immediately grabbed his finger and shook it, hard, until Hayama yelped and quickly pulled his finger back.  
  
"This decision is final," said Akashi, still directing a steady look at Hayama. "Or are you going to disobey this arrangement?"  
  
There was a long moment in which Hayama shuffled slightly and looked away from Akashi. Then, he looked back at Akashi, sighed, and reluctantly shook his head as a reply.  
  
"Good," said Shirogane-sensei. "Then we will have the practice match as scheduled."  
  
Riko quickly looked at Mayuzumi in anticipation. This would be his chance to show how much he improved! She couldn't wait for him to show his progress.  
  
But he wasn't looking at her, or at anyone. He was staring at the ground.  
  
____  
  
  
Akashi looked at the chess board in front of him and quirked his lips upwards in a delicate, elegant smile.  
  
His plan had worked far better than he could have imagined. He picked up a small, black pawn, and looked at it, stretching his lips wider. Mayuzumi had improved immensely in a little more than one week. It had been faster than he expected.  
  
When he had suggested the plan, it had been based on a flimsy hunch. Akashi didn't like hunches. But he knew that Mayuzumi wasn't like any of the other people he knew. He never revealed anything at all, even with Akashi's superb observation prowess. Even Tetsuya was easier to read.  
  
Tetsuya  _cared._  
  
Frankly, Akashi had no idea what could have inflicted the type of pressure he wanted on Mayuzumi, the type of pressure that would incite complete desperation and distress. This had been crucial to ensure that Mayuzumi would develop to become a top-notch clutch shooter, the kind of shooter that  _belonged_  in Rakuzan.  
  
So he went for the most obvious thing right in front of him. The budding friendshipbetween Riko and Mayuzumi. Akashi had felt like curling his lip in disgust as he stated such a ridiculous training method to Mayuzumi. It was incomprehensible how an individual's concern for  _another_  person's basketball could administer equal the amount of pressure, or even more, as a pressure inflicted on the individual's self. It was preposterous. How could an individual  _care_ so much more for another than himself.  
  
But it had worked, nevertheless. Despite how ludicrous the idea seemed to Akashi.  
  
Akashi carelessly placed the pawn he had been holding on the board, then picked up the black queen. He brushed his fingers over it softly, tenderly. The contours truly were astoundingly beautiful. He placed it gently on the board.  
  
He would never sacrifice his queen.  
  
Suddenly, Akashi felt the mild headache, and the dysphoria, return. He frowned, and lifted a hand to rub his forehead. He felt like he heard a buzzing in his silent room. After a short while, he dropped his hand, and looked towards the board.  
  
He set the black pieces. Bishop here. Knight there. Rook...  
  
Akashi paused for a moment. Then he placed it near the black queen. He had to protect the queen.  
  
He placed the king next to the queen.  
  
As for that pawn...  
  
Akashi paused in thought for a while. He ran his fingers over the piece thoughtfully.  
  
It would probably go first.  
  
Akashi placed it near the white king, ready for his checkmate strategy. He leaned back with a contented sigh, looking at all the pieces set up perfectly. Then, he glanced towards the shogi board, with all the beautiful wooden pieces set up, next to the chess board currently in front of him. His beloved shogi.  
  
He felt the headache again, and placed slender fingers on his temples. He frowned slightly, and averted his eyes from the shogi board.  
  
It might be a while before he touched shogi.  
  
____  
  
When Saturday morning came, Riko walked into the first string gym with great anticipation. She was probably more excited for this match than she had been for the Shuutoku match. She quickly moved towards the private courts, trying not to skip in her excitement.  
  
As she entered the gym, she saw the boys already warming up with their layup drills. Glancing towards the side of the gym, she saw Shirogane-sensei talking to Akashi. Before she could walk over to join them, she overheard an argument.  
  
"Dammit, Kotarou,  _I_ picked up this ball first! Why do you keep trying to take every ball I pick up?" Nebuya was growling at Hayama.  
  
Riko sighed, and walked over to the boys. Nebuya was having a tug-of-war of sorts with Hayama, both of them holding one basketball. Hayama had a mischievous glint in his eye, and was grinning cheekily as he tugged the ball towards him.  
  
"Weell, I just  _like_ this particular ball, you know, Eikichi?" Hayama laughed devilishly. "It's got my hand print all over it. This ball's just good for me."  
  
At his words, Nebuya suddenly stopped growling. He grinned mischievously as well, then said, "Did you say  _balls_ were good for you?"  
  
Hayama blinked. "Huh?"  
  
Then, it clicked. Hayama dropped the ball and started laughing madly, putting his hand on the back of his head and throwing his head back.  
  
"I love getting my  _hands_ all over these  _balls_!"  
  
"I  _like_ these  _balls!_ Like 'em, like 'em!"  
  
Nebuya collapsed over Hayama, as both of them snorted juvenilely, arms over each other's shoulders and shaking with laughter. Watching them as she stood in front of them, Riko tried to control her hands, which itched to slap their faces, her eyebrow twitching.  
  
" _Please,_ guys!" Mibuchi came over desperately. "Riko-chan's here. Tone down the vulgar language."  
  
Nebuya nodded as he took his arm off Hayama's shoulder and wiped his eyes. He patted Riko's head, and said, "Yeah, of course." He smiled genially down at her.  
  
Riko let out a relieved breath, then smiled back at him.  
  
" _Yuup,_ we'll tone it down," Hayama said, sounding muffled as he pushed the back of his hand onto his mouth to stifle the laughter. Then, behind the back of his hand, he muttered, "Balls."  
  
Both Hayama and Nebuya fell down to the floor laughing, and Riko just stared down at them, her eyebrow twitching again out of irritation. Mibuchi 'hmphed' and kicked them on the floor, then turned to Riko with a cheerful smile.  
  
"So, Riko-chan, are you looking forward to the match later?"  
  
Riko turned away from the boys still laughing immaturely on the floor and focused on Mibuchi instead. She smiled back at him, and said, "Yeah, I really am! It's going to be fun." She glanced away from him to look for Mayuzumi.  
  
"Who'll you be rooting for?"  
  
"Sorry, Mibuchi-kun, but I'll be supporting Mayuzumi-senpai," said Riko distractedly, still looking around the gym for him. "I did personally train him for quite a while."  
  
Hayama immediately jumped from the floor, and grinned widely. "That means you'll be rooting for me!" He eagerly lifted his hand for a high-five.  
  
Still distracted, Riko just placed her palm over his as she continued looking for Mayuzumi. Hayama was saying something to her, but she didn't pay attention because she had finally spotted Mayuzumi, practising his shooting in the corner of the gym.  
  
"Sorry, please excuse me," she said quickly to the boys, and turned away to walk towards Mayuzumi. She dimly heard a loud stomp of a foot as she went away, but ignored it to focus on Mayuzumi.  
  
Walking up to him, she fixed a smile on her face as she looked at him. He shifted slightly from his shooting position when he saw her come towards him, but just looked away from her to focus on the hoop instead, and did a jump shot.  
  
Riko cleared her throat, and said, "Mayuzumi-senpai, I'll be supporting you during the match later!" She widened her smile, to encourage him. "I'm sure you will do very well. You have been improving so much."  
  
He didn't look at her for a moment, and just picked up a ball to shoot again. Once the ball flew into the hoop, he turned to her, and gave her a nod. Then, he moved away from her to the opposite corner, to do more of his stretches.  
  
Riko felt her eyebrows furrow as she watched him walk away from her. She took a deep breath, and tried to quash a mounting sense of helplessness and confusion within her.  
  
"Team. We're going to start the match now."  
  
She turned towards Shirogane-sensei, who was standing in the middle of the court with a basketball and a whistle around his neck. Suppressing a sigh, she walked towards the benches by the side of the court where Akashi and the other assistant coaches were sitting, and took a seat in front of Akashi.  
  
Hayama and Mayuzumi stood to Shirogane-sensei's left, while Nebuya and Mibuchi stood to his right. Hayama was narrowing his eyes at Mibuchi and Nebuya, and pointing two fingers at his eyes, in an 'I'm watching you' gesture. Nebuya was doing the same. Riko observed Mayuzumi carefully, but the only change she could see in his expression was a deep frown.  
  
"I'm going to explain the rules now," said Shirogane-sensei. "It's a half-court game, so if you steal an opponent's ball, remember to run beyond the perimeter, past the three-point line before shooting so that it can be counted as a score. But even though it's a half-court match, the time would run like a normal match. So it will be four quarters, with breaks in between."  
  
He looked sternly at the players before him. "If there are no questions, we will commence the match."  
  
Hayama immediately focused his expression into one of seriousness. Mayuzumi next to him deepened his frown. Mibuchi and Nebuya also turned serious.  
  
Hayama remained standing next to Shirogane-sensei, crouching slightly, while Mayuzumi moved towards the hoop. Nebuya stood opposite Hayama, and bent his knees in preparation for a jump as well. Mibuchi moved towards Mayuzumi to mark him.  
  
Shirogane-sensei held the ball in front of him, and looked at both Hayama and Nebuya out of the corners of his eyes. The whistle was in his mouth. Riko leaned forward in her seat, and narrowed her eyes in anticipation.  
  
Then, he threw the ball into the air and blew the whistle.  
  
____  
  
Hayama leapt as high as he could, stretching his arms to reach the ball in the air.  _Come on! Reach it!_  
  
But he always knew it would be a futile effort, because he saw Nebuya extend his arms as well, and he stretched them a good half a foot higher than Hayama.  
  
 _Dammit._  
  
Nebuya took the ball in his large palms, and immediately threw it towards Mibuchi, who was standing near the hoop. Mibuchi ran forwards to grab the pass, and his hands were extended towards it,  _dammit Reo-nee is going to score the first two points-_  
  
Suddenly, the Mayuzumi bastard ran forwards desperately to prevent the pass from getting through, and got the ball before Mibuchi could grasp it.  
  
Hayama immediately ran beyond the three-point line, lifting one hand into the air, and yelling, "Hey! Pass it to me!" But he saw Nebuya running towards him from the corner of his eye, and he saw Mayuzumi notice Nebuya too. The bastard frowned, then turned to dribble towards the three-point line himself.  _Shit, no!_  
  
Just as he reached beyond the line and turned around to make a drive into the zone, Mibuchi stole the ball during his precarious turning, and immediately made to do a three-pointer.  
  
But before he could even lift the ball, Mayuzumi immediately tackled Mibuchi like an animal, desperately trying to prevent him from making a basket. Hayama gaped at him from where he stood across the half-court.  _What the hell is the bastard doing?!_  
  
He heard Shirogane blow the whistle. "Foul. Three free throws."  
  
Hayama smacked his forehead with his palm. Mibuchi would definitely be able to make all three. He stomped towards Mayuzumi and punched him in the shoulder. " _Cool_ it, man! What are you being so violent for? Are you nervous?"  
  
He peered angrily into Mayuzumi's eyes, but was slightly taken aback when he saw desperation and frustration in the bastard's eyes. It was like looking at a mad, caged animal.  
  
Hayama blinked, but couldn't do anything else as Mayuzumi moved away to prepare for a rebound. He followed as well, but continued looking Mayuzumi curiously with narrowed eyes. He maintained his gaze even as Mibuchi made all three free throws perfectly.  
  
The first quarter continued with Nebuya and Mibuchi making many baskets. Hayama managed to make some, and Mayuzumi did too, but he was missing so many. There was now a 7 point-difference between both teams. Although the difference was quite low, it was still bad. It would only grow since Nebuya and Mibuchi made less mistakes than Mayuzumi.  
  
Hayama swore at Mayuzumi as he made another desperate three-pointer, and the ball flew short of the hoop. Even though Hayama dashed forward to grab it, Nebuya reached it first, and he immediately threw it towards Mibuchi, who had run beyond the three-point line. He received the pass easily as both Hayama and Mayuzumi were too far away to defend, and threw an easy three-pointer.  
  
10-point difference.  
  
Hayama swore again, and turning towards Mayuzumi, he whacked him again. "You're releasing your shots too quickly to be accurate! And you're shooting with too much force! I told you,  _calm down._ "  
  
But looking into Mayuzumi's eyes again, he saw that the wildness in them had augmented. It didn't look as though Mayuzumi was listening to him. He was glancing with slight panic towards the score board, and panting heavily.  
  
"Oi. Are you listening?"  
  
Mayuzumi just continued panting.  
  
Hayama was about to scream into his ear when Shirogane signalled for the next round of attack to start. Sighing heavily and scowling, he moved to defend Nebuya under the hoop, while Mayuzumi moved to defend Mibuchi, who was starting. At the sound of the whistle, Mibuchi started dribbling, and did an agile drive around Mayuzumi towards the hoop.  _This is fine. I can handle Reo-nee._  
  
Smirking confidently, Hayama moved towards Mibuchi as he dribbled towards the hoop. He extended his arms, and bent his knees into a relaxed stance. He could see the ball, it was coming, he extended his hand towards the point at which he could tap the ball out of Mibuchi's dribbling-  
  
SLAM.  
  
 _What the f-_  
  
Mibuchi was on the floor, and Mayuzumi was crouched next to him, panting and looking at the floor. The ball rolled away from both of them.  
  
"What the  _hell_ are you doing?!" Hayama screamed at Mayuzumi. Shirogane had blown the whistle, and shouted, "Foul! Two free throws!"  
  
Mibuchi got up and moved towards the free throw line, throwing Mayuzumi a look of distaste as he did so. Mayuzumi continued looking at the floor, and breathing heavily. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, and the sides of his face using the back of his hand.  
  
"Stop attacking Reo-nee," Hayama said to Mayuzumi with gritted teeth, grabbing his collar from the front to pull him off the floor. "This is your  _second_ foul."  
  
But once again the bastard didn't appear to be listening. Hayama felt like yelling and punching the floor in frustration.  
  
The round started with a 12-point difference between the teams. Hayama was scowling deeply. He had no teamwork  _at all_ with the bastard. He glanced at Mayuzumi, who still looked like a desperate animal.  _Shit,_ whatwas _wrong_ withhim?  
  
Mayuzumi was starting, and he dribbled the ball slowly at first, glancing at the hoop with narrowed eyes. Then, he made a sudden drive towards the hoop, dribbling around Nebuya, who was guarding him. It looked like he could make it. Hayama watched anxiously, standing near the hoop and bending his knees in preparation to help if necessary.  
  
Mayuzumi was changing the pace of his dribbling quite well, getting around Nebuya's defences. Then he sped up as he dribbled towards the hoop. He stopped, then he was lifting his arms in preparation for a shot, the ball was about to leave his hands-  
  
It was suddenly smacked out of his extended hands by Nebuya, and it flew away beyond the three-point line, across the court from Hayama. Hayama made to run towards it quickly, but Mayuzumi was closer, so he slowed down to let him handle it- then suddenly it was Mibuchi with the ball instead. What.  
  
Mibuchi was lifting the ball for another three-pointer and Hayama immediately turned towards Mayuzumi, and yelled out, "Don't-"  
  
But it was too late, Mayuzumi had tackled Mibuchi  _again,_ and they both fell to the floor, the ball rolling out of Mibuchi's hands.  
  
Hayama swore loudly as Shirogane blew the whistle and called for three free throws.  
  
___  
  
"What the fuck are you doing?"  
  
The first quarter had ended with a 15-point difference between the two teams, and it was now the short intermission before the second quarter started. Hayama had immediately gone up to Mayuzumi to berate him, and Mibuchi and Nebuya had left the court to drink from their water bottles. Mayuzumi was bending down, his hands on his knees, as he panted, trying to regain his breath.  
  
"You already have three fouls and we're only in the first quarter! You're terrible! So much worse than during practice!" Hayama said angrily to Mayuzumi.  
  
Mayuzumi stopped panting heavily, and Hayama could see him closing his eyes. After a while, he straightened up to look at Hayama properly. Hayama couldn't see the wildness in his eyes anymore, it just looked weirdly blank now.  
  
"It  _is_  my fault I now have three fouls."  
  
"Damn right it is! How could you be so careless," Hayama said disgustedly at him. At his blank expression, Hayama felt irrationally angrier, and lifted his finger in an obscene gesture, but Mayuzumi just remained expressionless. Then, the bastard sighed heavily.  
  
"What! You got a problem! Just say it then!"  
  
Mayuzumi was silent for a moment. Then he said, "The three fouls are my fault...but you haven't been very good either. You have refused to pass to me even when I am open."  
  
Hayama's eyes widened at his words.  
  
"You are  _also_ dragging the team down."  
  
____  
  
Riko bit her lip as she watched Mayuzumi and Hayama argue again. The match wasn't going well for them at all. She frowned even more when she saw Hayama flick an obscene gesture at Mayuzumi, but Mayuzumi just looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes, the rest of his blank expression intact. This made Hayama even angrier, and he gestured more wildly as he shouted at Mayuzumi.  
  
Then, Mayuzumi said a few quiet words, and Hayama just stopped shouting all of a sudden. She saw his eyes slowly widen, then heard him shout, "You bastard!". And he moved to punch him, his right hand curling into a fist, but before he could do so, Mayuzumi suddenly turned around and walked towards the gym exit.  
  
Riko had enough of just watching. She stood up immediately to follow Mayuzumi, but heard Akashi's steady voice behind her.  
  
"Riko."  
  
She turned around quickly to look at him. His eyes were slightly narrowed, and there was a hint of displeasure in them.  
  
"What are you doing."  
  
Riko took a deep breath, and said, "I have to talk to him, Akashi-kun." She tried to keep the beseeching tone out of her voice, but knew that she couldn't control it. "I can't just let them be."  
  
Without hearing his response, she turned away and darted out of the gym to look for Mayuzumi.  
  
____  
  
  
It didn't take long to find him, he was just standing by one of the pretty trees dotting Rakuzan's immaculately designed landscape. Fixing a smile on her face, Riko slowly walked up to him, and gently placed a hand on his arm.  
  
He turned immediately to look at her. His face was still inscrutably blank, although there was a slight furrow in his eyebrow.  
  
"Mayuzumi-senpai, are you alright?" she said carefully.  
  
He looked into her eyes for a while, but try as she might, she couldn't decipher the look in them. They were blanker than she'd ever seen. Still, if she looked deep, she thought she could see a hint of something. It could have been worry?  
  
Before she could read him further, he turned away from her, and said monotonously, "No, of course I'm not okay, Riko. We're losing."  
  
Riko winced and berated herself for asking such an obvious question. She tried to smile encouragingly at him even though he wasn't looking at her. "Well, don't worry about that. I'm sure you and Hayama-kun can make up the point difference. There's still more of the match to go."  
  
"I'm not so sure about that." His tone was still flat. "Hayama and I can't work together at all." He frowned imperceptibly. "And I just can't keep up with Mibuchi's shots. He is far too accurate."  
  
She heard him say in a low voice, "This is the strength of an Uncrowned King."  
  
"That's not true," said Riko quickly. "Mibuchi-kun is very good, yes, but you are equally good in shooting! I see both of you practise all the time."  
  
He didn't say anything in response.  
  
Riko tried to continue emphatically, "It'll be fine, you've been practising clutch shooting for a while now! You'll be okay once you get used to the pressure in the next quarter of the game."  
  
At her words, Mayuzumi fell silent for a while. Riko could only hear the slight spring breeze rustling the leaves of the trees around them. She looked to the ground. The neatly-trimmed grass was rustling slightly in the wind as well. The air was slightly warm; summer was nearly upon them.  
  
"It's your fault that I have this pressure."  
  
Riko's eyes widened. Her head flew upwards to look at him. He was looking at her from his height, out of the corner of his eye.  
  
"If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have this pressure to win at all. It's all because of  _you._ " The emphasis on 'you' contrasted starkly with the rest of his sentence, which was so monotonously stated. "If I hadn't met you, I wouldn't have to feel these things. To experience such torment."  
  
His every word was like a dagger to Riko's being. He was saying the things that were her worst fears. She felt like scrunching her eyes, to block out his presence, and the presence of Rakuzan around her.  
  
Because he was right.  _She_ pushed him back to basketball. She pushed him to develop himself, to learn from Akashi. She had been doubting herself for pushing him back into the hellhole that was Rakuzan's basketball.  
  
She felt that she made him taste the sweetness of the first string, only to have it snatched away from him through this match. This match that showed him that all his effort had been useless after all. This match that showed him the overwhelming difference between talent and hard work.  
  
She heard him sigh, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from his. She could see that they were filled with frustration.  
  
"Why do you have to be so... _you_?"  
  
Riko felt her eyebrows furrow, and her eyes scrunching in misery as she listened to him. But he had turned away from her, and started walking back to the gym. She tried desperately to pull his shirt, but he just flinched away from her, and continued walking.  
  
As she watched his retreating back, Riko tried to control the emotions engulfing her body, and leaned against the tree for support.


	11. Wrathful Mediation

_Ugh, there he is._  
  
Hayama saw the fucker come into the gym again, and scowled at his nonchalance. He'd  _better_ perform in the next quarter, or else Hayama would look like a pathetic player. He was so  _awful,_ he made such amateurish mistakes, and he was too desperate.  
  
He turned towards the benches automatically to look at Riko, just  _knowing_ that she would have a worried frown for the guy. It was  _always_ all about Mayuzumi.  
  
But he couldn't see her anywhere.  
  
Hayama looked around in a slight panic. Where was she? The next quarter was about to begin. He heard Mayuzumi walk up next to him, his shoes making soft sounds on the court floor.  
  
"You are late, Mayuzumi-kun," Shirogane said, glaring at him. "We have to begin the next quarter now."  
  
From his peripheral vision, he saw Mayuzumi, the bastard, just nod with a slight frown.  
  
Hayama tore his eyes away from the benches by the side of the gym and shoved away his worry. It was so unusual for Riko to miss the practice match,  _especially_ one that involved this guy.  
  
He moved inside the zone near the basket, and Nebuya immediately marked him. Shirogane gave the ball to Mayuzumi – their team was starting – and blew the whistle.  
  
The moment he heard the whistle, Mayuzumi immediately went into a shooting form, and shot a three-pointer before Mibuchi could block him.  
  
What the  _fuck_. What was that bastard thinking? Was he  _still_ not calm?  
  
Hayama immediately ran towards the hoop in case of a rebound, and sure enough, the ball bounced off the rim of the hoop with a thunk, and started falling. Hayama jumped desperately for the ball –  _please make it_ – but Nebuya, as the resident Centre, was so strong and indomitable that  _he_ got the ball instead. He threw it towards Mibuchi, who had run past the three-point line out of the perimeter, and then just took a nonchalant step on the line, and moved into a shooting position. Hayama widened his eyes when he saw the bastard run towards Mibuchi.  
  
 _Great. He's going to attack Reo-nee again._  
  
But there was something wrong with him. He wasn't as violent and desperate as he was in the first quarter, and only defended half-heartedly.  
  
So, Mibuchi made the shot easily, and the ball flew into the hoop flawlessly.  
  
Hayama swore. They were now  _18 points_ behind. It was going to be fucking difficult to make up the difference. As he ran to mark Mibuchi, who was starting, he growled at Mayuzumi, "Calm  _down,_ man. That was the most reckless thing you could have done. You wasted our chance to attack."  
  
Mayuzumi didn't say anything in response, and just moved to mark Nebuya.  
  
What was wrong with him? He made such a reckless three-pointer, and after that, didn't even defend properly.  
  
Hayama muffled a sound of frustration, and turned back to Mibuchi with a glare. Mibuchi was sporting an arrogant look and a smile, the usual look that he had when he knew he had the upperhand.  _We'll see, Reo-nee. I'm always better at defending than you are._  
  
The whistle blew. Mibuchi lazily dribbled the ball at the starting point, looking at Hayama with a teasing smile. Hayama scowled in response. Should he try to make a steal? Or not? He just knew Mibuchi was trying to manipulate him.  
  
So he just took a deep breath, and bent his knees, getting into a relaxed stance. He would let his reflexes handle everything.  
  
Dribble. Bounce. Dribble. Bounce.  
  
Then suddenly, Mibuchi's eyes narrowed and he made to drive into the zone, towards the basket.  _Too slow, Reo-nee._  
  
Hayama smirked and moved his body to follow Mibuchi's motion. Mibuchi tried to change the pace of his dribbling, to throw Hayama off, but he was too fast for Mibuchi.  _Game over._  
  
As Mibuchi dribbled backwards to get away from Hayama, Hayama took the opening to lunge at him. He smacked the ball in mid-dribble, and Mibuchi's eyes widened at his speed.  
  
The ball was rolling away towards Nebuya and Mayuzumi.  
  
"Get it-"  
  
But he was  _so slow_ – seriously, what happened to that animalistic desperation in the first quarter that caused the bastard three fouls?  
  
Hayama growled, and gritted his teeth in grim determination. Looks like it had to be up to him.  
  
With lightning speed, Hayama dashed towards the ball just as Nebuya extended his arm, his body contorted to reach it in front of Mayuzumi, who had been closer. Just as Nebuya's fingers brushed it, Hayama stretched out his palm, and took the ball. He dribbled it with all five fingers, towards the three-point line.  
  
Then, without waiting to see if anyone was defending, he turned around with narrowed eyes, and did a powerful drive towards the basket. He twisted his body around Mibuchi, who had rushed to defend against him, performing a cross-over dribble to prevent the ball from getting into Mibuchi's grasp, then dribbled around Nebuya, turning his body around so that he was briefly back-to-back with him. Once he reached the basket, he did a powerful leap towards the hoop, and slammed the ball into it.  
  
The ball fell through the hoop and towards the ground, bouncing with a hard thud.  
  
Hayama hung on the hoop for a moment, then fell to the ground gracefully, landing on the balls of his feet. He turned with grim satisfaction towards the score board, which was just changing.  
  
16 point difference.  _Much_ more manageable.  
  
Mayuzumi was just picking up the ball from the court floor, and moving towards the starting point for their turn to attack. Hayama took the opportunity to snarl at him as he passed, " _Don't_ make that earlier mistake again, okay?" He scowled at Mayuzumi as he just passed him without responding. " And just pass the ball to me from now on.  _I'll_ do everything."  
  
He continued glaring at Mayuzumi until he saw him nod, and then he moved to mark Nebuya. The whistle blew the start of that round.  
  
But for the rest of the second quarter, although Hayama managed to get in a few shots, Mibuchi and Nebuya were just too overwhelming for Hayama alone to handle. The quarter ended with a 17 point difference between both teams, and then they were at the halfway point of the match.  
  
Hayama sighed loudly, and glared at Mayuzumi, who just looked blankly back at him. Then, the bastard turned around, and walked out of the gym for the break, without saying a single word to Hayama.  
  
"Hey! Bastard! Where are you going?"  
  
But Mayuzumi just continued walking, ignoring his calls.  
  
Growling angrily, Hayama dashed towards the bench and picked up his water bottle. Saying quickly to Shirogane that he was going out for a bit during the break, he ran out of the gym to follow Mayuzumi.  
  
"Wait up! We have to discuss our strategy for the second half!"  
  
____  
  
  
Grumbling under his breath, Hayama swept his gaze across the Rakuzan landscape, still holding his water bottle. The sun was shining down on the lovely school courtyard, illuminating the shiny Rakuzan windows and enhancing the pretty colours of the blooming flowers. A slight breeze was making the trees sway daintily.  
  
 _Shit._  
  
Hayama kicked a stone angrily, and it flew towards one of the Rakuzan windows, hitting it with a clatter.  _Where the hell did that bastard go?_  
  
He had been just  _right there_ in front of Hayama, and then he suddenly disappeared. It was so strange. And so fucking frustrating.  
  
Hayama glanced at the Rakuzan clock in a nearby classroom and swore again. If he didn't find that bastard soon, they weren't going to have enough time to discuss their strategy. He really needed to have that discussion, they were playing so embarrassingly, it was not befitting of the Rakuzan name.  
  
Akashi was going to be  _pissed_ after the match if they didn't make a comeback in the second half.  
  
Maybe Mayuzumi was at the other end of the courtyard.  
  
Hayama turned around and immediately sprinted with all his speed towards the lawns on the other side. When he reached there, he scanned the landscape with narrowed eyes.  
  
He still couldn't see anyone.  
  
Hayama swore loudly again, and was about to stomp his foot when he suddenly spotted a small figure crouched by a tree. He leaned forward and squinted his eyes to see the figure better. Could it be Mayuzumi?  
  
 _No, the size of that person is too petite to be that bastard._  
  
Shrugging to himself, Hayama strode towards the figure. As he neared the person, he saw familiar brown hair.  
  
 _Riko._  
  
Hayama quickened his pace and stopped next to Riko, who was still crouched by the tree, her head buried in her arms and knees. He squatted as well, and laid a hand on her shoulder.  
  
Her head flew upwards immediately, and whipped around to face him. "Mayuzumi-senp-"  
  
But she stopped short when she saw that it was only Hayama.  _Always about him._  
  
Riko sighed and looked away from him. She got out of her crouching position, and sat cross-legged on the grass next to the tree instead. But before she looked away, Hayama saw considerable distress in her eyes. He had never seen that much emotion in Riko's eyes before.  
  
He set his water bottle next to him, and sat cross-legged as well, next to Riko and the tree. His knee touched hers as he arranged his position, and he let the touch remain, as he looked at her questioningly.  
  
But she shifted away from him as she tried to avoid his gaze, scowling. Hayama hid a sigh, and moved out of his cross-legged position to rest his hands on his knees. He moved his foot to prod her calves, and the touch caused her to turn back to him, still scowling.  
  
"So are you gonna tell me what's wrong?"  
  
Riko continued scowling at him for a while, but he just looked at her steadily. And then, because he got impatient, he prodded her with his foot again.  
  
Riko's scowl deepened at the disturbance, but disappeared as she sighed. She looked away from him again, and said, "It's very complicated to explain."  
  
"Don't worry, I've got the time."  _Sorry, Shirogane. I'm gonna be late._  
  
She frowned at him again. "It involves a lot of  _feelings._ "  
  
Hayama made a face at her. " _Ewwww."_ He prodded her with his foot again, and she swatted at it irritatedly. "But it's fine." He shrugged as she looked at him in surprise. "Just tell me."  
  
She didn't say anything in response, she just looked at him with a slight frown, as though struggling to start.  
  
Hayama sighed, and then lifted a hand to scratch his head. Scowling deeply, he said, "It's got to do with Mayuzumi, isn't it? What did he do?"  
  
"He didn't do anything," said Riko immediately. She looked away, regret evident in her eyes. "It was my fault."  
  
"I  _highly_ doubt that."  
  
"It's true!" She turned back to glare at him. "It's my fault that he's miserable."  
  
"Okay," said Hayama, nodding sarcastically. "What did you do, make him improve too much?"  
  
"Stop it!" Riko made a sound of frustration and looked away from him again, gripping her knees. Hayama fell silent at her outburst. He looked at the ground, watching the shadowed patterns cast by the sun shining through the leaves of their tree dance about as the clouds moved with the wind.  
  
"I made him return to basketball."  
  
Hayama looked up to see her talking quietly at the ground. He watched her hair blow gently in the breeze, and hid a sudden urge to pull it. But the urge was overwhelmed by the desire to touch it, to brush it against her ear.  
  
"I made him return to  _Rakuzan's_ basketball. I made him believe he could do well  _here,_ of all places. What was I thinking?" She laughed sarcastically. "This place doesn't believe in passion. It doesn't believe in effort, or hard work."  
  
She curled her lip bitterly. "It only believes in results. It only believes in victory." She sighed heavily, her breath causing her fringe to flutter. "I forced Mayuzumi-senpai into a false sense of hope. I made him think hard work could help him win against you guys."  
  
Hayama was just silent, listening to her speak, her quiet voice clear even with the sounds of the wind blowing.  
  
She frowned, still looking at the ground. "And now, he's suffering for it. This game is cruel. It's supposed to be the culmination of all his hard work, to show how much he has progressed." Her frown deepened. "Instead, it's like a Roman arena of death. Pitting teammate against teammate."  
  
She sighed again. "It wouldn't be so bad if all of you didn't perceive basketball so mechanically, so ruthlessly. It would actually be quite fun."  
  
Hayama was observing her closely, and he watched her as she tilted her head to lean against the tree, her eyes revealing a deep nostalgia. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.  
  
"I miss  _Seirin."_  
  
Hayama felt his breath catch in his throat.  
  
"I miss Hyuuga-kun. Teppei. Izuki-kun, Koganei-kun, Mitobe-kun, Tsuchida-kun. Even the new people that I don't know anything about. The amazing basketball player Kagami-kun. The thoughtful Miracle Kuroko-kun. The other first-years who are all so supportive, Furihata-kun, Kawahara-kun, Fukuda-kun."  
  
She let out another breath. "They  _understand_ me."  
  
There was a long silence in which Hayama could only hear the rustling of the leaves around him, and the occasional insect sounds. He heard the sounds of an aeroplane flying over their heads. The distant laughter of Rakuzan students.  
  
Then, Hayama cleared his throat to break the silence. Riko turned slowly to face him, still leaning her head against the tree, and with slightly scrunched eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry, Riko, but I think that's bullshit."  
  
Her eyes widened immediately.  
  
"I-I mean!" Hayama quickly tried to clarify, waving his hands frantically. "Not all that stuff about Seirin. That was...uh..." He trailed off, scratching his head. "Kind of endearing?"  
  
He dropped his hands to his knees and looked at Riko steadily. "I meant that part about Rakuzan, and Mayuzumi." Riko had calmed down from her surprise and was looking at him with full attention. "With Rakuzan, sure, our philosophy might seem screwed up, but..." He frowned in thought. "What if that's the only way some people can enjoy basketball?"  
  
Riko's eyebrows started to furrow at what he was saying.  
  
"That's the way I've played it all my life," Hayama continued. "To me, basketball is about being better than everyone. About dominating over everyone. That's the only way I know how to play it. That's fun to me."  
  
Riko made a face at his statement, but he just crossed his arms and looked away from Riko in thought. "I have a feeling Akashi might be the same way." He quickly looked back at her. "Ah, but I'm not supposing I understand him or anything. This is just what I think." He uncrossed his arms and shrugged helplessly.  
  
"And as for Mayuzumi, well..." He scowled as he thought about the bastard. "I think you shouldn't worry about him at all. Everything he did was his choice alone. You shouldn't feel  _responsible_ for him."  
  
Riko was starting to lift her head from the tree as she listened to him.  
  
Feeling encouraged, Hayama continued, "And the pressure he's feeling to win this match? It's  _all_ on him! Even  _I'm_ not feeling that much pressure, and you  _know_ Akashi has been mad with me since that time I disagreed with him." He scowled again. "That must be why he placed me with Mayuzumi. To punish me."  
  
"I don't think you should think of it as punishment to team up with one of your current teammates," said Riko.  
  
"It's punishment to me!" said Hayama, still frowning. Then his frown faded as he looked gently at Riko. "I really can't help you with how much you miss your old school but..."  
  
Riko looked away from him again when he mentioned Seirin, biting her lip.  
  
"If you ever miss Seirin again, any time at all, come to me."  
  
She quickly turned to look back at him, with raised eyebrows and widened eyes.  
  
"I'll keep annoying you, and making you laugh, and do everything I can to make you forget your sadness." He grinned at her surprised face. "Look, I'll do it now!"  
  
And then he pulled the eyelids of his eyes down, and stuck his tongue out, remembering the incident in the street ball court. It was so clear in his mind.  
  
Riko immediately cracked up at his face, and clutched her stomach in mirth as she leaned against the tree. Hayama dropped the face-pulling, and laughed with her too, feeling warmth engulf his body at the sound of her laughter.  
  
After both their laughters died down, they continued breathing heavily. Riko wiped her eyes, then punched Hayama's shoulder amiably.  
  
"Thanks, Hayama-kun."  
  
He just grinned broadly at her. Then, he pushed his water bottle to her, and said, "Here, you can have this. You've been out here for quite a while." He stood up from the ground, and stretched his body.  
  
"I have to go look for Mayuzumi. I'm sure the second half is nearly starting. I'm definitely gonna be yelled at."  
  
Riko gasped, and tried to scramble up too. "I totally forgot that you have to return to the match!" she fretted as she tried to push herself up. "Why did you distract me so much!" But before she could rise, Hayama pushed her shoulders down, and she fell back against the tree.  
  
"Don't worry about it. You can stay here till you're ready to see people."  
  
Riko stared at him for a while, from her position on the ground. Then, she blinked and said, "I never knew you could be thoughtful like this, Hayama-kun."  
  
"Shut up!" Hayama growled behind his back; he had turned around to start looking for Mayuzumi. Without turning back, he started sprinting towards the gym.  
  
Maybe Mayuzumi was already heading there.  
  
____  
  
  
Hayama walked towards the direction of the gym through the Rakuzan corridors, glancing around for Mayuzumi, his hands clenched into fists. He was feeling anger rise within him, with every empty corridor, and every silent room that he poked his head into. It had gotten to the point that maybe he  _didn't_ want to see the guy. He felt like yelling, and screaming. He felt like stomping his foot childishly with unreleased frustration. He felt like punching holes into walls.  
  
When he turned a corner, he finally saw the bastard leaning against one of the Rakuzan classroom walls. Mayuzumi was looking down, the fringe of his grey hair drooping down slightly to cover his eyes. One of his hands was loosely holding a water bottle which Hayama recognised as coming from a Rakuzan vending machine, and the other was limp by his side. The guy looked so  _defeated._  
  
It only made Hayama angrier.  
  
He stomped up to Mayuzumi, making loud noises with every step. At the sounds, Mayuzumi looked up, and Hayama could see his eyes from under his fringe.  
  
Although they were blank, there was a hint of surrender in them; it stood out contrastingly against the nothingness.  
  
Hayama felt the rage inside him rise until he couldn't contain it any longer. It flooded into his arms, into his fists, giving him strength. In two steps, he covered the distance between he and Mayuzumi, and then, he punched him in the face.  
  
The sound resounded in the silent corridor.  
  
Mayuzumi didn't even react from the violent action. His head just turned from the impact, but he didn't make a sound, and his face remained tilted downwards.  
  
"You piece of  _shit,_ " Hayama spat at him, scowling deeply. "You  _fucker._ Why do you look so upset? Why do you look like a  _victim_?"  
  
Mayuzumi was still looking away, still looking downwards.  
  
" _You're_ the asshole." Hayama paused to let out a deep growl. "You made Riko sad."  
  
At the mention of Riko, Mayuzumi's head moved slightly.  
  
But Hayama was so angry, he just continued, "You made Riko want to go back to  _Seirin._ A fucking no-name school that doesn't deserve her. You make me so  _sick._ You make me so  _angry._ "  
  
Hayama took a deep shuddering breath. He felt that if he didn't do it, he would just be listing out a bunch of swear words. He turned towards the wall, and punched it, letting out an incoherent sound of frustration. Mayuzumi still hadn't moved from his original position.  
  
"But I can't help the fact that you're my teammate now. And you might even be my teammate in the future." Hayama took another deep breath, then he turned from the wall to face Mayuzumi.  
  
"And to make Riko happy, we have to work together later. We have to win this match."  
  
At his words, Mayuzumi looked up slightly, but his fringe was still covering his eyes. So Hayama couldn't gauge his reaction. Not that he wanted to, the guy seriously made him sick.  
  
"You know just how much she worked for you. How much time she invested into training you." Hayama bit the side of his cheek, nearly drawing blood. "How much she... _cares_ about you."  
  
Hayama turned away from Mayuzumi to face the wall, and punched it again. He leaned his forehead against it, and let out another shuddering breath.  
  
Glancing at Mayuzumi from the corner of his eye, he said, "So let's win this match. It's what she wants, so we'll do it for her." Narrowing his eyes, he continued, "And it's what  _you_ want too, so you can't complain."  
  
Hayama closed his eyes and huffed, then lifted his forehead from the wall. Giving Mayuzumi another glare, he turned around, and started to stalk off towards the gym. But before he could even take a step, he was interrupted by Mayuzumi's quiet voice.  
  
"It's not that I want to win, it's that I  _have_ to."  
  
Frowning harshly, Hayama turned around to look at Mayuzumi. His head was finally fully upwards, and he was looking at Hayama with fury in his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if I'm describing the match too much. It's just. I LOVE basketball and basketball matches! I can't help myself from writing them out.
> 
> But if it's too much of an overkill, let me know. It will influence my planning for the future chapters.


	12. Reintegration

"Akashi  _really_ said that?" said Hayama, scratching his head.  
  
He was cross-legged on the floor next to Mayuzumi, who was sitting with one hand on his knee, one leg tucked under the other. They were both leaning against the Rakuzan classroom wall. After fighting off the urge to punch Mayuzumi again, Hayama had felt the anger calm down as Mayuzumi explained, and his hands had relaxed from being clenched into fists. Hayama had completely given up on returning to the match on time; this was more important. So he had sat down next to Mayuzumi to talk.  
  
"Would I lie about something like that?" Mayuzumi replied, and then he sighed, and leaned the back of his head against the wall. "It's been driving me insane these past two weeks. The thought that Riko would take the fall for all my mistakes."  
  
Hayama frowned thoughtfully. Looking towards Mayuzumi, he said, "That doesn't sound like Akashi at all."  
  
"What?" Mayuzumi lifted his head from the wall to look at Hayama. "He  _literally_ said that to me. That he would reduce Riko's performance grade with every missed shot." He gave Hayama an incredulous look. "How can you be so angry at me and not react at all to Akashi's actual threat against Riko?"  
  
"I trust Akashi, that's why," Hayama replied simply. When Mayuzumi continued giving him the look, Hayama sighed, then explained, "Akashi always has a valid reason for everything he does and says. This doesn't sound logical. He wouldn't do such a thing. It doesn't make sense that he would punish someone else for your mistakes. Akashi prefers to punish the actual person who makes the mistake. And also..."  
  
Hayama frowned again. "I get the feeling that he believes in Riko's ability. So he definitely wouldn't downgrade her like that."  
  
"You can't know that for sure.  _I_ think he doesn't treat people as people at all. I think he just likes messing with us."  
  
"He messes with people only for a sensible reason. For the benefit of the team, and for Rakuzan."  
  
Mayuzumi fell silent at Hayama's statement. Then, he said, "So you think he messed with me to help the team, somehow? And that he wouldn't actually downgrade Riko?"  
  
Hayama nodded. "That's what I would expect from Akashi. He makes decisions only for Rakuzan's benefit, only to ensure Rakuzan's victory. And discrediting Riko wouldn't bring any beneficial purpose to Rakuzan. If anything, it would be detrimental."  
  
"But you can't be certain about that. The guy's totally unreadable."  
  
Hayama made a face. " _You're_ totally unreadable." After exchanging glares with Mayuzumi, Hayama sighed and said, "You're right though. I'm really not sure. I don't understand Akashi. I just trust him as my captain. And I would follow anything he says."  
  
Mayuzumi went silent again. When he did that, Hayama could barely tell that the guy was next to him, he had so little presence. Then he sighed, and said, "There were so many times that I actually wanted to just...forget about Riko. And just focus on my own basketball." He looked at Hayama out of the corner of his eye. "If you think about it, this is a pretty neat arrangement. You practise basketball and get all the benefit, another person takes all the cost."  
  
Hayama was feeling his anger stir within him again at Mayuzumi's words, his hands curling into fists. But suddenly, it was eclipsed by an abrupt coldness. What would  _he_ have done in Mayuzumi's position. Would he have even thought, and struggled over this, as much as Mayuzumi had. Would  _he_ have ignored Riko.

Akashi was alwaysright.

But  _Riko._

Not realising Hayama's inner conflict, Mayuzumi continued, "Anyway, I think I hate the idea that Akashi's potentially manipulating me. But I can see why he would do it if it benefitted the team." He closed his eyes and sighed.  
  
After a moment, he opened his eyes, and stood up. Looking down at Hayama, he quirked a smile, and said, "But either way, I still really want to win this match." He extended a hand to help Hayama up, and broadened his smile. "For Riko, right?"  
  
Hayama had been looking at Mayuzumi's hand thoughtfully, but at the mention of Riko, he scowled immediately. He stood up as well, ignoring Mayuzumi's hand.  
  
"Yeah," he said shortly. "Let's win this."  _I said that first._  
  
Then he turned around and strode off towards the gym without a backward glance.  
  
____  
  
  
Riko had been biting her lip and twisting her fingers on her lap when she finally saw Hayama and Mayuzumi return to the gym. Even though she had stayed out there in the courtyard for quite a while thinking about Hyuuga and Kiyoshi, and Seirin, she had returned to the gym to find that the second half still hadn't started. And Hayama and Mayuzumi were nowhere to be found.  
  
She had no idea what had happened when she had just seen Hayama a few moments ago.  
  
But since they were here now, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Glancing at Mayuzumi worriedly, she felt reassured to see that the frown on his face had disappeared and he seemed calmer. He had been playing so erratically in the first half; it was so different from his usual self during practice.  
  
Shirogane-sensei was lecturing the two boys, a hint of anger in his tone. Hayama, as usual, looked petulant, and just looked away from him with a childish pout. And Mayuzumi just looked to the ground with deference.  
  
She heard a motion behind her and turned to see that Akashi had stood up from the bench to walk towards the group. Glancing at his face, she saw that he had a deep frown, revealing displeasure on his usually composed face.  
  
"Akashi-kun," she quickly called him, but he ignored her to stride with authoritativeness towards the pair.  
  
The moment Hayama saw him approach, he had winced and looked away guiltily. Mayuzumi, on the other hand, matched Akashi's gaze with his own steady, level stare, his eyes slightly narrowed. Akashi spoke a few quiet words to them, and then they moved to start the game.  
  
Mibuchi and Nebuya were already on the court. Mibuchi's hands were on his hips, and Nebuya went up to Hayama to whack the back of his head. After a few swear words were exchanged, the boys moved to get in position.  
  
Shirogane-sensei handed Mibuchi the ball to start, and then he blew the whistle. Mibuchi started dribbling the ball, his eyes darting around the court to survey the other players.  
  
Out of her peripheral vision, she saw Akashi move back towards the benches and sit behind her once again. She heard him exhale quietly, his breath ghosting over the back of her neck.  
  
Then, after that brief distraction, her eyes were drawn once again back to the match. Hayama was so ferocious, he was even  _more_ breathtakingly agile than he had been in the first quarter. The moment Mibuchi had moved in for a drive, he had lunged forwards and tapped the ball out of his dribble. Mibuchi quickly turned around to defend, but Hayama was just  _so fast,_ he executed a cross-over dribble and then the ball was out of Mibuchi's reach. Hayama threw the ball beyond the three-point line at an empty spot-  
  
But it  _wasn't_ empty. Mayuzumi was there.  
  
Riko blinked. She could have sworn she had seen him over at Nebuya just a moment ago. Had he escaped?  
  
Mayuzumi caught the ball and changed into a three-pointer shooting form. Mibuchi ran to defend him, but he had been feinting, he threw the ball over Mibuchi's head towards the hoop. Hayama was already taking a running leap, and Nebuya was too far behind to catch up to Hayama's animalistic speed.  
  
Hayama received the alley-oop flawlessly, and dunked the ball in, hard. The ball bounced on the court floor with a loud smack, and Hayama dropped down agilely. As he landed, Riko caught a look of grim satisfaction on his face.  
  
The match commenced again with Hayama starting. He started dribbling, first slowly, then so fast that Riko couldn't see the ball – it was only a blur, and she could only hear never-ending thudding vibrations. He made to drive, but Nebuya seemed to be familiar with his movements and immediately moved to cut his route, then Hayama suddenly threw the ball in a completely random spot.  
  
But once again, Hayama wasn't being ridiculous, because Mayuzumi was there.  
  
Mayuzumi, with no one defending him, immediately did a jump shot, and the ball flew into the hoop perfectly.  
  
By the break between the third and fourth quarter, Riko was grinning madly in her seat, because Hayama and Mayuzumi were only 2 points behind Mibuchi and Nebuya. And Mayuzumi had scored nearly as many shots as Hayama – he had managed to escape Mibuchi and Nebuya multiple times, leaving him free to score. Hayama was really impressive as well; despite being heavily guarded by both Mibuchi and Nebuya, who gunned for him when they lost Mayuzumi, he had been able to dribble away from them to make his shots.  
  
The fourth quarter commenced with Mayuzumi starting, and observing his face, Riko felt happiness engulf her body at his calm, satisfied look. He started dribbling, and then quickly passed to Hayama, who had dashed away from Nebuya, his mark, at full speed. Mibuchi had immediately gone to mark Mayuzumi, but as she observed him closely, he was first close to Mibuchi, then he suddenly darted away from Mibuchi quickly. Mibuchi was slow to respond, he suddenly turned his head left and right, having lost track of Mayuzumi.  
  
And then Mayuzumi received the ball from Hayama, who had passed back to him, and he shot at the basket.  
  
It happened many times throughout the fourth quarter, but Mibuchi and Nebuya were still formidable. Both teams' scores were neck and neck, it was impossible to tell who would win.  
  
Then, in the final ten seconds of the match, Hayama was desperately dribbling the ball and trying to get an opening. He and Mayuzumi were one point less than Nebuya and Mibuchi, and they only had this chance to score. Riko herself was holding her breath, and frantically hoping with all her might.  
  
 _Please let him win this. He needs to win this._  
  
___  
  
Hayama was feeling his heart beating rapidly as he tried to dribble past Nebuya, but he was very desperate as well, guarding him with all his might.  _Shit._  
  
7 seconds remaining.  
  
Hayama tried to do a cross-over dribble to get the ball past Nebuya, but Nebuya immediately moved his hand threateningly towards the ball, anticipating his move. Hayama quickly dribbled backwards, trying to maintain possession of the ball.  
  
5 seconds remaining.  
  
 _Where the hell is Mayuzumi?_  
  
He was darting his eyes quickly around the court to look for his teammate, but Nebuya was so big and his defensive stance was so good, he could barely see past him. He tried to crane his neck over Nebuya's shoulder, but he couldn't see Mayuzumi, he could only catch a glimpse of Mibuchi's black hair-  
  
Ah.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly spotted Mayuzumi next to the basket, his eyes narrowed with determination and his hands already in catching position.  
  
3 seconds remaining.  
  
 _Make it!_  
  
Hayama made a leap backwards from Nebuya, holding the ball with one hand. He jumped high enough that he could see nearly half a foot above Nebuya's shoulder, and then threw the ball with all his might.  
  
It whizzed towards Mayuzumi, and he caught it with a smack.  
  
2 seconds remaining.  
  
As Hayama landed, it seemed as though it was in slow motion that he was seeing Mayuzumi bend his knees in a jump shot position, and throw the ball, in a smooth arc, towards the hoop.  
  
1 second remaining.  
  
The ball whooshed into the basket, rustling the net as it fell through the hoop.  
  
0 seconds.  
  
____  
  
  
Riko was panting heavily as she laughed at the amazing buzzer beater scored by Mayuzumi. She had stood up when she saw Hayama leap backwards from Nebuya to throw the pass towards Mayuzumi, her heart pounding away inside her, and when she saw him execute that beautiful final shot...well. It made her want to burst into tears in sheer appreciation of it.  
  
It reminded her of Seirin, brought back all the feelings she had for Seirin. Once again, Mayuzumi had made her feel the happiness that Seirin brought her, even though they were both here in Rakuzan.  
  
She continued watching the players down on the court, expecting them to share in her joy, but Hayama had just sighed, and then walked nonchalantly towards the bench to get a water bottle. She didn't notice him glance at her out of the corner of his eye.  
  
Mibuchi and Nebuya were just frowning slightly, but they didn't react much as well; they joined Hayama on the bench to rehydrate. Even Mayuzumi just looked like his normal blank self. Except that if she had looked more closely, she would have seen a hint of relief in his eyes.  
  
Riko sighed disappointedly at their lack of excitement, then she heard a voice behind her.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Turning around, she saw that Akashi had been the one to say it. He was still sitting on the bench, looking like his normal dignified self.  
  
Except for his eyes. They were slightly widened, and had a spark of excitement and anticipation that made Riko feel uneasy.  
  
He didn't notice her staring at him. After a while, he stood up to walk down towards the players. Riko stood up as well, to follow him, feeling the uneasiness creep over her and spread in her body. But before she even moved, she stopped in her tracks. Glancing at Mayuzumi, she wondered if he wanted her there.  
  
She wondered if he wanted her around him anymore.  
  
____  
  
  
"Chihiro. Your clutch shooting has improved."  
  
Mayuzumi turned from the bench where he was bent over, rummaging in his gym bag and trying to find his water bottle, to see Akashi standing next to him, a charismatic smile in place. He felt himself frown.  
  
Turning back to his bag, he continued rummaging as he said curtly, "Yeah."  
  
 _You made me improve. I didn't have a choice._  
  
"It's good to see that it really works in a stressful situation. That buzzer beater. I would say that moment was the pinnacle of your clutch shooting."  
  
Mayuzumi tried to keep his frown from deepening as he continued rifling through the contents of his bag. Spotting his water bottle finally, he grabbed it, then turned back to Akashi, mumbling, "If you say so."  
  
He immediately regretted turning back, because Akashi was giving him an intense, pressuring gaze. The kind that made Mayuzumi feel like his throat was closing.  
  
"Make sure it works in an actual match."  
  
Mayuzumi blinked, and opened his mouth to reply, but Shirogane called them, "Akashi-kun, do you want to say a few words to the team?"  
  
"Yes." Akashi turned and briskly walked towards where Shirogane and the Uncrowned Kings were gathered at the other side of the gym. Mayuzumi frowned at his back, then forcefully opened the cap of the water bottle in his hands. As he drank the water, he felt that it wasn't as sweet as it would have been just a few minutes ago.  
  
 _This guy only cares about what is useful. About what works._  
  
He pulled the bottle away, capped it, and threw it into his bag. Then he picked up his bag and shouldered it, and turned to stride towards Akashi and the others, but before he started moving, he took a deep breath. He looked towards the viewing benches from the corner of his eye.  
  
Riko wasn't there anymore.  
  
Swallowing the bitter feeling at the back of his throat, Mayuzumi looked forwards again and strode forcefully towards the group.  
  
Akashi was saying something to Mibuchi, "...and Reo, you need to practise defending the ball when you're dribbling. Kotarou stole the ball from you multiple times during the game." He narrowed his eyes. " _Don't_ be this careless in an actual match."  
  
He turned to Hayama, and started saying something to him too, but Mayuzumi didn't pay attention. He just looked towards the floor, trying to control the spread of the bitter feeling. Until he heard his name being called.  
  
"Chihiro."  
  
He looked up to see everyone looking at him.  
  
"As I previously mentioned, your clutch shooting  _has_ improved," said Akashi. "However, you still have much to improve on. You were erratic at the start of the match. You couldn't coordinate with Kotarou, and you made too many mistakes." He was looking sternly at Mayuzumi. "I am willing to attribute this to nervousness, and will forgive it only because you managed to come back in the second half."  
  
Mayuzumi felt like clenching his hands into fists, and he looked to the floor again.  _It was you who caused me to play that way._  
  
"Nevertheless, I feel confident that we can utilise your ability in a match," said Akashi. Mayuzumi's eyes widened slightly at his words, and he looked up to see Akashi smiling. "The kind of player who can alter the flow with game-changing passing. The kind of player who can slip through defences. But even more than that, above everything." Akashi's smile widened. "The kind of player who can escape the opponent during clutch, and make the shot that counts."  
  
Mayuzumi was holding his breath.  
  
"That's your role in Rakuzan's team. That's your basketball, Chihiro."  
  
He released the breath in a quiet whoosh. Mayuzumi frowned inwardly; he was feeling confused. Because he was feeling a warm sense of satisfaction flood through his body. And that feeling was such an unusual response to, of all people,  _Akashi's_  words. Even though he heard Nebuya scoff silently next to him, he didn't care. He finally felt that he had a niche within Rakuzan's basketball.  
  
After a few more words from Shirogane and Akashi, the team dispersed. Before Akashi could leave, however, Mayuzumi quickly called out to him.  
  
"Akashi."  
  
The redhead turned to look at him. Mayuzumi quietly took a breath, and then said, "The arrangement. It's off, isn't it?"  
  
They looked at each other for a short moment, and then Akashi turned away from him, and began walking off. Mayuzumi was about to frown at his back, when he saw Akashi give a nod, only the back of his head in view.  
  
At this, a feeling of relief swept through his body, mixing pleasurably with the sense of satisfaction that was still within him; it had settled comfortably into a nook in his heart.  
  
____  
  
  
In the subsequent days after the match, Riko walked around Rakuzan with a spring in her step; her pride had swelled within her and spread into her limbs, making it impossible to walk without being  _somewhat_ jaunty. It was the pride she felt as a coach, the lovely feeling of accomplishment she had felt so long ago at Seirin.  
  
However, after a few days, the jubilance at the accomplishment faded away and left her with an empty feeling. Instead of skipping through the corridors of Rakuzan, she started dragging her feet.  
  
Because even though she had felt so happy, she still hadn't managed to return to the dynamic she used to have with Mayuzumi. She hadn't spoken to him since  _that_ conversation. In some ways, she wanted it even more than the satisfaction she regained as coach from his victory in the match.  
  
Being with him made her think of the warm summer days with Hyuuga and Izuki back when they were in middle school; of Kiyoshi's comforting hugs; of Mitobe's gentle eyes.  
  
And she had lost it all in just that one moment.  
  
So during the days her feet felt like lead, she did the sensible thing, and complained to Hayama.  
  
"The  _hell,_ Riko, stop saying his name already. It's making my ears hurt."  
  
Hayama stuffed his fingers into his ears and tried to lean as far back as possible from her. She had turned around to vent at him, as usual, during one of their lunch breaks.  
  
Feeling her eyes narrow, she leaned forward out of her chair and grabbed his wrists to pull his hands off his ears. He started shaking his head, yelling out, "No, no, no!" and she vainly tussled with him, trying to get him to listen.  
  
"But Hayama-kun," she growled as she tried her best to move his hands; he was so much stronger than her. "I need you to help me figure out a solution!" She finally managed to pull one of his hands off.  
  
He suddenly stopped struggling, and sighed, leaning forward back again. Riko blinked, then let go of his wrist, and leaned back into her chair. He crossed his arms and pouted petulantly.  
  
"I honestly don't give a damn about him. You can stop talking to him for all I care."  
  
Riko felt her eyebrow twitch, and she said, "I  _know_ you don't care about him. I'm talking about  _me. I_ want to talk to him." She sighed. "I want to eat ice lollies with him."  
  
Hayama was silent for a moment, glaring at her with his arms still crossed. Then he said, "Why the hell should it be him? You can eat ice lollies with  _anyone._ "  
  
Riko scowled back at him, and said with gritted teeth, "Do you not get the concept of friendship? He's my friend.  _Was_ my friend," Riko corrected herself with a pang. "We used to eat ice lollies together."  
  
" _Yeah,_ and I'm  _saying_ that you have  _other_ frien-"  
  
"Riko-chan~!"  
  
Hayama scowled harshly at the interruption, but turned with Riko to look at Mibuchi fluttering into their classroom, carrying a bento box.  
  
Riko smiled at him. "Hi Mibuchi-kun."  
  
"Riko-chan, I need your help!" He grabbed a chair, and positioned it next to their desk. Placing the bento box in front of Riko, he said, "I made this for Sei-chan because I want to show my appreciation for all his hard work. But I don't know if it tastes good enough! Can you help me?"  
  
Riko blinked, then turned to look at the bento. After looking at it for a moment, her eyes widened. She was feeling the seed of an idea form in her mind.  
  
" _Jeez,_ Reo-nee, why do you need to do that?" grumbled Hayama, still scowling with his arms crossed. "You  _know_ he loves doing all that work."  
  
"I just think we should show appreciation from time to time-"  
  
"Mibuchi-kun."  
  
Both Hayama and Mibuchi turned to look at Riko, who was beginning to smile. She turned to Mibuchi, eyes bright with enthusiasm. "Where are the kitchens in the Rakuzan dorms?"  
  
____  
  
  
Riko went to the school building the next day, skipping merrily again. She had a bento box wrapped in a pretty blue cloth and dotted with flowers hanging on one hand. She felt like humming, but thought that her Rakuzan classmates were already looking at her strangely, and it wouldn't be good to let them think she was insane.  
  
Just as she arrived in front of her and Hayama's classroom, she saw him, Mibuchi and Nebuya talking outside the door. They looked up to her when she approached.  
  
"Hello~!" She greeted them with a wave, eyes crinkling blithely.  
  
Hayama immediately jerked backwards, his face contorting in shock, while Mibuchi returned her wave with an even more cheerful one, and Nebuya reached out to pat her head with a grin.  
  
"Whoah, Riko! You can't be crazy  _again_ , are you?" spluttered Hayama. "How many times has that happened already?"  
  
At his words, Riko felt her usual irritation at him, and she huffed, feeling her perkiness wane slightly. "I'm  _not_ crazy, Hayama-kun." She smiled at him. "I'm just happy because I figured out how to talk to Mayuzumi-senpai again."  
  
At the sound of his name, Hayama groaned, and covered his ears. Nebuya looked at Mibuchi, shrugged, then asked her, "So how are you going to do that?"  
  
Riko lifted her bento box up with a bright grin. "I made him a bento."  
  
"WHAT."  
  
Suddenly, she felt the bento box leave her hand, and she saw Hayama sprawled on the floor, the bento box in  _his_  hands. Feeling herself frowning, she looked down at him and growled, "Hayama-kun-"  
  
"Riko-chan's homemade bento?!"  
  
And then Nebuya was on top of Hayama, and they were tussling with each other, trying to grab the bento. Riko felt her frown deepen, and tried to take a step forward to get her bento back, but before she could, Hayama had managed to get it open. He reached out his hand to grab one of the  _umeboshi_ _onigiri_ (pickled plum rice ball) that she had so painstakingly made last night. Growling, she extended her hand to slap his-  
  
Then the  _onigiri_ was suddenly snatched away by Nebuya, and even though Hayama lunged towards him, he dropped it into his gaping mouth.  
  
"Bastard!"  
  
But before Hayama could punch Nebuya, he had suddenly turned green. Hayama stared at him with widened eyes as he turned away and started spitting out the  _onigiri,_ sounding like a cat with a massive hairball.  
  
After staring at Nebuya for a moment, Hayama blinked, then extended his hand with the bento towards Riko.  
  
"It's a great idea. You can give it all to him."  
  
Riko just ground her teeth.  
  
____  
  
  
It was the end of the school day, and there was no basketball practice. The moment the bell rang, Riko had got up from her desk, shouldered her bag, and stalked off with a huff, even though Hayama was calling after her. She had thrown away every bit of the bento, despite having laboriously spent three hours making it the night before. She didn't want to make her relationship  _worse_ with Mayuzumi after all.  
  
After she got out of the classroom, and entered a lonely Rakuzan corridor towards the direction of the female dormitories, she started dragging her feet again. Looking down at the floor, she felt her eyebrows furrow and her eyes scrunch up. She swallowed, trying to contain the bitter feeling mounting inside her. She felt helpless. She still didn't know what to do about Mayuzumi.  
  
After releasing a sigh, she took a deep breath, then tried to walk more uprightly. She was Riko. She was stronger than this. She didn't need anyone to make her feel okay at Rakuzan.  
  
Even if he did make things so much better.  
  
She fought off another sigh, and was about to turn a corner when she heard a voice.  _His_ voice.  
  
"Riko."  
  
Eyes widening, she whipped around to see Mayuzumi striding towards her, his hands in his pockets. She couldn't read his expression, however, it was just blank as usual.  
  
"Do you have a second? I want to talk with you."  
  
She felt herself nod mutely, and then hurried to follow him as he turned around to walk towards the school exit.  
  
____  
  
  
Since it was nearly summer, the sun still hadn't set, and the rays shone prettily on the street buildings by the road she and Mayuzumi were walking on. The road was so familiar to her; she and Mayuzumi had taken it so many times to buy their ice lollies before moving to the park. It used to represent comfort to her. Right now though, it represented a lost past, and a sad nostalgia.  
  
They arrived at the park, then Mayuzumi walked towards the fence opposite their usual bench, and leaned against it, his hands still in his pockets. Riko walked towards the bench in front of him, but didn't sit down. She just stood in front of him, and avoided his eyes by looking towards the ground.   
  
As she inspected the neat arrangement of the stones below her, she heard him take a deep breath.   
  
"When I said all those things to you, I really meant them."  
  
Riko's eyes widened, and she turned to look up at him. She started to feel the suffocating feeling of doubt and insecurity creep over her again.  
  
But just before the feelings engulfed her, Mayuzumi continued, "I said them because they were true." He looked down at her from his height, carefully, right into her eyes.

It was too late...the feelings were spreading all over her body, they were tightening around her heart like cold chains, they were making her feel suffocated-

"But they were true...because they basically meant that I cared about you."  _  
_

His words resonated in the quiet park. When she heard him, her eyes widened even more. She felt her mouth fall, slowly, open.

He took a breath. "I mean, it's because I care about you that I felt all those...feelings. The pressure." He averted eyes to run his fingers through his hair.

The motion meant that Riko couldn't see his eyes, and he continued, "When I said why you had to be you, well, um." The syllables sounded odd in his monotonous speech style, but it made Riko smile. "It's because you are  _you_ that I care about...you." She still couldn't see his eyes, because his fingers were still buried in his hair.  
  
He dropped his hand to look into her eyes again. And he said, slowly and deliberately, "I'm really happy you are who you are here, in Rakuzan, Riko."

Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an ice lolly.

Riko felt her breath catch in her throat.  
  
Quirking a small smile, he handed it to her. When she took it, she felt a warm and comforting feeling spread all over her, even though the ice lolly was so cold.  
  
They stood together like this for a while, their hands connected by the ice lolly, as they both held on to it.  
  
Riko felt like the atmosphere around her was quiet and peaceful, even if she could still see the swanky Rakuzan buildings out of the corner of her eye in the distance, and they always had a certain distasteful quality. But  _this_ current atmosphere. It reminded her fondly of Seirin.  
  
After the long moment, Riko snatched the ice lolly away from Mayuzumi's hand, and ripped it open. She stuck the ice lolly into her mouth, and crunched off a bite. Feeling the icy coldness spread through her teeth, she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to withstand it. When she opened her eyes, it was to see Mayuzumi looking at her in amusement, his lips twitching slightly.  
  
His hand was still extended.  
  
She grinned at him, a wide, bright smile, and slapped his palm. The slap rang out in the peaceful evening air.  
  
"I feel the same way, Chihiro."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phoooo. This took a while.
> 
> After this is training camp arc! (: But I might take a short break before starting it.


	13. The pen, and all of its uses

"So you're saying that I will really enjoy this light novel?" said Riko, frowning as she flipped through the article.  
  
She and Mayuzumi were in the convenience store where they usually bought their ice lollies. If Riko thought their ice lolly sessions were regular before, they became even more regular now. Now, even on the days when they didn't have basketball practice, Mayuzumi would find her on her way back to the female dormitories, and she would gladly go with him to the store even without him inviting her. The sessions were so regular that instead of just heading to the park straightaway with their snacks, they would loiter in the store, commenting on the latest  _Weekly_ _Shonen Jump_ issue or the light novels available in the store, like now.  
  
The temperatures were at the perfect equilibrium of warm yet not too hot that signalled the start of summer, and it was the perfect time to enjoy ice lollies, even if she didn't already thoroughly enjoy the company. She never thought she could feel this comfortable and assured with anyone ever since she left Seirin. Spending time with Mayuzumi reminded her of her walks with Hyuuga back in Tokyo, back in Seirin.  
  
"Yeah," Mayuzumi replied. "It has all the things you like so much, action, humour, the theme of friendship, and a whole lot of sports in it."  
  
She saw his lips twitch slightly as her eyes immediately shone in excitement at the word 'sports'. He leaned against the wall next to the shelf with all the light novels that she was perusing, and thrusted his hands into his pockets.  
  
He turned his head sideways to look at her with a small smile. "It  _also_ has the added bonus that the main female character is very similar to you."  
  
Riko smiled back at him. "Are you serious?"  
  
"Yeah." Mayuzumi nodded. " _She's_ really..." He took a deep breath and looked directly into her eyes. "She's kind. She's fearless, and hopeful. And she's so smart, and full of spirit."  
  
Riko's smile went even wider. She felt warmth spread all over her body at his words.  
  
"But she's also ignorant and impulsive. And  _really_ stubborn."  
  
Riko's mouth fell open, and she felt herself scowl. She placed down the light novel and reached over to whack him on the shoulder, but he easily caught her wrist with one hand. He slid his hand down until he was holding the back of her hand, then gently squeezed it until she opened her palm. He pulled his other hand out of his pocket, and placed an ice lolly stick into her hand.  
  
Then he let her go, and put both his hands back into his pockets, still smiling his small smile.  
  
Riko raised a quizzical eyebrow at him, then carefully lifted the ice lolly stick up to her eyes. There was writing on it.  
  
"I got an ice lolly stick that had 'loser' on it. Horrible, right?"  
  
"And you're giving it to me?" Riko averted eyes from the stick to glare at him.  
  
Mayuzumi sighed. "Look at it properly."  
  
Riko gave him another puzzled look, but did as he asked. When she squinted at the stick, she saw that he had scratched out the kanji character for 'loser' and had written 'winner' instead. She widened her eyes, then quickly turned to look back at him.  
  
He still had a small smile, but his eyes were crinkled slightly. "I didn't want some stupid ice lolly stick to just dictate who I am. So I thought about what you would do, and...this is what happened."  
  
She was still looking at him with wide eyes.  
  
"I think you should have it. Maybe it might...remind you of things. Important things. I don't know." He took out a hand out of his pocket to scratch his head. "I  _definitely_ need the reminder, but...with you here, I feel like I don't need a physical object."  
  
He frowned slightly. "I don't think I'm explaining this very well."  
  
"You don't need to," said Riko quickly. She smiled reassuringly at him. "I understand."  
  
He put his hand back into his pocket, and smiled back at her. In the instance they exchanged smiles, Riko couldn't hear the bustle in the convenience store, with the cashiers ringing up the customers' orders. This moment was only hers and Mayuzumi's alone.  
  
After a while, he looked away from her to glance at his watch, then said, "I think I should go now. I wouldn't want to get back too late. We have quite an intense practice session tomorrow after all."  
  
"Yes, of course," said Riko. She scowled as she thought about the training session. "The training regime's gotten really tough. So many of the players are exhausted after every session. Even the first stringers."  
  
"Can't help it." Mayuzumi stood up from where he was leaning against the wall and started to move towards the exit. "This is Rakuzan, after all, and the Interhigh's coming up soon. The practice sessions have to get tougher."  
  
"Not  _too_ tough," argued Riko, as she followed him out. "I'm all for intensive training, but this is really too much. The players won't be able to rest their muscles properly. I  _know_ this, because I can see it."  
  
Mayuzumi only shrugged in response, and Riko felt mystified at his carefree behaviour. Seeing her perplexity, Mayuzumi sighed, then reached out to pat her head.  
  
"Don't be too bothered about this. This is Rakuzan's style. There's nothing much you can do, especially for something as important as training."  
  
But despite his words, Riko couldn't shake it off, and she waved at him half-heartedly at the bus stop before turning back to the Rakuzan grounds, thinking worriedly about Rakuzan's training regimens. She glanced down at the little ice lolly stick still grasped tightly in her hands.  
  
It gave her some measure of comfort.  
  
____  
  
  
Riko made a small hole in the ice lolly stick and threaded a string through it, producing a makeshift necklace. She kept it tied around her neck and tucked into her shirt, as a reminder to herself. Mayuzumi was right. She needed the physical reminder. Oddly, she felt as though the place where it touched her skin radiated comfort, which spread throughout her body, giving her strength.  
  
It was with this "necklace" around her neck that she went to basketball practice the next day, ready to take on any challenges, ready to take on Akashi. She went into the third string gym first, to coach her third string players. They were already stretching and warming up, and Riko looked upon them with pride. She admired their strength in some ways, in being able to continue going to practice despite the skewed emphasis on training the first string at Rakuzan. Even Mayuzumi had quit, but then again, he had such a defeatist attitude back then.  
  
Riko smiled, and touched the ice lolly stick through her shirt. He  _had_ changed, at least a little.  
  
Looking at the third stringers fondly again, she started to walk towards one of them to correct his stretching when she noticed a stack of papers on the benches by the side of the gym. She went to the benches instead, and picked up one of the sheets of papers.  
  
It was the training menu for each of the strings.  
  
She narrowed her eyes as she scanned through the document. The third stringers had their regular training regimes; it seemed as though they definitely weren't going to get the chance to play in any practice matches or in the Interhigh. Ignoring the feeling of dissatisfaction immediately rising within her, she continued reading the document. The first and second stringers had more rigorous training regimes, but it was still alright – they could recover since they would have a few hours of the weekend practices off to compensate for the more intense weekday practices.  
  
It was the regulars' training regimen that made Riko's eyes widen.  
  
Their training regimen was such that over a two-week period, they would only have 24 hours rest to recover before working on the same muscle groups again. Riko knew from experience that with the kind of training Rakuzan was implementing, 48 hours would be the optimal duration to promote their muscle recovery. Her eyes widened further when she read that they were expected to distance run for an absurd amount of time every day for the next two weeks.  _Their knees..._  
  
Riko felt a rage rise within her, and she nearly crumpled the piece of paper in her hands. Rakuzan treated their players like objects, like  _tools._ She turned on her heels and marched off to the first string gym to speak with Shirogane-sensei or Akashi.  
  
When she arrived there, she saw Akashi talking with Hayama, but Shirogane-sensei was nowhere to be found. Feeling the touch of the ice lolly stick acutely on her neck, she stalked up to Akashi.  
  
"Akashi-kun, I need to speak with you about this training regimen."  
  
He turned towards her, and she immediately felt like he was scrutinising her. She hoped that she didn't look too defiant.  
  
"What is it, Riko. Make it brief."  
  
Riko felt his intense, penetrating gaze on her; why was she still not used to this? She subconsciously touched the string around her neck, took a deep breath, and then said, "Akashi-kun, I disagree with the regimen for the regulars. It's too intense. There's not enough time for them to rest." She glared into his eyes, meeting his gaze. "I think we should speak with Shirogane-sensei about this."  
  
"That will not be needed," said Akashi. "I was the one who suggested this regime."  
  
Riko widened her eyes.  
  
"As a regular myself, I am perfectly happy with this training menu," Akashi continued. "It is necessary to ensure that we will be in peak physical condition during the training camp, and to be ready for the Interhigh."  
  
"This training menu is  _too_ intense. It's a four-week training regime condensed into two weeks," replied Riko, trying to keep her tone even. She took a deep breath. "I can  _see_ that there won't be enough time for your muscles to recover before you work on them again." She glared at Akashi. "As athletes, it is crucial to keep your muscles in good condition."  
  
"What is even more paramount is that we build the necessary muscle mass and stamina so that we can concentrate more heavily on core basketball skills during the training camp," said Akashi. Riko could see a hint of anger already forming in his eyes. "I will not be swayed in this matter." He turned to Hayama next to him. "Kotarou agrees with me. All of the regulars do."  
  
He turned back to Riko, and narrowed his eyes slightly. "We all understand what it takes to be a regular at Rakuzan."  
  
Riko turned to look at Hayama. His eyebrows were furrowed, and he was looking worriedly between Akashi and Riko. When she turned to look at him, he bit his lip, and looked at the ground.  
  
She followed his gaze downwards and glanced at his knees. Narrowing her eyes, she squatted and peered at them more closely. Then, she stood up, and turned angrily to Akashi. "He's been distance running everyday, hasn't he? That's foolish! In the long term, he will experience too much stress on his knees!"  
  
Akashi's eyes immediately narrowed. "Excuse me?"  
  
"His athletic career isn't just made up of the Interhigh! He has months, years, still ahead of him!" cried Riko. As she said this, she was seeing Kiyoshi in her mind. Kiyoshi, walking on crutches, and moving to hug her goodbye. Kiyoshi, clutching his knee after the heartbreaking match with Kirisaki Dai Ichi. It made her want to scream with frustration.  
  
Akashi was still looking at her with narrowed eyes. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, but his eyes were strange. It was as though the anger within them was muted, as though it was contained by something else.  
  
He closed his eyes, let out a quiet breath, and rubbed his forehead. When he opened his eyes, Riko felt a sudden, immense oppressiveness,  _the_ pressure. It was suffocating, it was closing in on her, but it wasn't letting her move. It wasn't letting her run away, even though she wanted to  _so much,_ no matter how cowardly it would be to do so, and she  _hated_ being cowardly. She subconsciously felt like grasping the ice lolly stick around her neck.  
  
He said, with a calm, yet hard tone, "I told you, Kotarou understands what is required of him to be a regular at Rakuzan. He is happy with this arrangement." He turned to direct his look of pressure towards Hayama.  
  
"Hayama-kun?" said Riko, feeling slightly breathless after that look. She turned desperately to Hayama. "I'm worried about your knees."  
  
Hayama looked between the two of them, and the furrow in his eyebrows deepened. He shuffled on the spot, looking at Akashi, and then looking at Riko. When he set his eyes on her, his eyes scrunched up. He took a faltering breath. "I-"  
  
"Hey, what's going on?"  
  
All of them turned to see Mayuzumi approaching their group. Hayama immediately scowled when he saw him coming.  
  
Riko felt relief spread all over her when she saw him. She smiled, and quickly brandished the training schedule in front of him. "Chihiro, look at this schedule." The moment she said that, Hayama's scowl deepened, but she didn't notice. Mayuzumi quietly studied the document.  
  
"It's nonsensical!" Riko continued. Then she gestured at Hayama. His scowl disappeared and he looked at the floor. "And Akashi-kun's making Hayama-kun do distance running every day. It'll hurt his joints in the long term. I don't want that to happen."  
  
"Riko."  
  
She turned to look at Akashi. He rubbed his forehead again, then he focused his gaze on her. She immediately felt the wave of pressure over her again. She blinked and swallowed, and unconsciously curled her fingers into half-fists. She felt like she was holding her breath, or rather, that she couldn't breathe.  
  
"As assistant coach, your duty is first and foremost to ensure victory for Rakuzan. This training regimen is one way to secure that victory." He paused, narrowing his eyes. "You should know what it implies if you disagree with this."  
  
RIko felt her breath catch in her throat. Was he saying-  
  
"Hang on."  
  
Both of them turned to look at Mayuzumi. He wasn't looking at Riko; he was looking at Akashi, with a slight frown. He took a deep breath, and then continued, "I think I can find a compromise here."  
  
Riko's eyes widened, and even Akashi stopped narrowing his eyes. Hayama remained looking at the floor, but he started frowning.  
  
"I think this training regimen is fine. Akashi is right, we  _do_ need all this to be in prime condition for the Interhigh." Riko frowned, and started to open her mouth to protest, but he continued, "But I agree with you that Hayama needs to take care of himself, physically."  
  
At the mention of his name, Hayama looked up, but his frown deepened at Mayuzumi.  
  
"So why don't we just keep this training regimen, but instead of distance running everyday, the regulars can intersperse that with swimming?"  
  
Riko blinked, then looked at Mayuzumi thoughtfully, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. Akashi continued looking at him steadily, but the hardness in his gaze lessened slightly.  
  
"This way, we still have cardio workout everyday, but our joints aren't so stressed," Mayuzumi finished, handing the schedule back to Riko.  
  
As she took the document back, Riko began, "But Chihiro-"  
  
"Riko," said Mayuzumi. She blinked, and caught him shaking his head imperceptibly. She frowned, but didn't say anything.  
  
There was a moment of silence, during which Akashi continued looking at Mayuzumi evenly.  
  
Then, he closed his eyes, and waved a hand dismissively. "That arrangement is fine with me." When he opened his eyes again, he looked at Hayama and Mayuzumi sternly. "As long as the distance you swim is equal to the distance you run every alternate day. And that you increase the distance over the two-week period."  
  
He waited until both of them nodded, then he turned, and left without a backward glance.  
  
The moment he left, Riko turned back to Mayuzumi with an irritated scowl. "Why did you stop me from protesting earlier, Chihiro?"  
  
Mayuzumi sighed, and then quirked a small smile at her. He lifted a hand to pat her on the head. "If you want to change things, do it one step at a time."  
  
Riko continued furrowing her eyebrows, but the scowl smoothened slightly. She released her own sigh, and when she looked at the training schedule in her hands, she felt the weight in her chest lift slightly. He was right.  
  
" _Wow,_ you just know  _everything,_ don't you, Mayuzumi?"  
  
Both Riko and Mayuzumi turned with surprise to face Hayama, who was scowling deeply, hands clenched into fists. His fingers were twitching in its fist form, as though he wanted to punch something.  
  
"You're so  _wise,_ and  _perceptive,_ and you read  _so much,"_ spat Hayama sarcastically, a bitter tone evident in his voice. "Why don't you take all that  _fucking_ knowledge and shove it up your ass?"  
  
"Hayama-kun!" exclaimed Riko in shock. Mayuzumi didn't say anything, he just gave a slight frown.  
  
Letting out an incoherent sound of frustration, Hayama made to walk away, shoving Mayuzumi aside with his shoulder. Mayuzumi stumbled slightly at the impact. With an angry growl, Riko stretched out her arm to grab Hayama's shirt to stop him, but Mayuzumi caught her wrist.  
  
He smiled down at her. "It's alright, Riko. I don't want any more arguments."  
  
Riko sighed, and took her arm back from him. But she continued glaring at Hayama's retreating back, as he stomped off to continue his shooting drills.  
  
____  
  
  
Despite Mayuzumi's words, Riko couldn't forget about Hayama's rudeness. How could he be so... _ugh._ So  _im_ _mature._ It drove Riko insane.  _Chihiro helped him. He did him a favour._  
  
But of course, Hayama had to be too childish, and immature to actually see it.  
  
Scowling deeply, Riko had stalked up to him and told him curtly to meet her in their classroom after practice. She wanted to tell him off. She felt like she had to, to let out the frustration, or it would build in her, and cause her to snap at everyone, even the innocent third stringers.  
  
When she arrived at their classroom after practice, she was still frowning angrily. She stomped up to her desk and flung her bag onto the table. Then, she threw herself onto her chair, and leaned on her arms, resting on her bag. She let out a deep sigh, and closed her eyes.  
  
Hayama was one thing.  _Akashi_ was another.  
  
She felt the furrow in her eyebrows deepen, and she tilted her head downwards in her arms, burying her face. How could she make him see  _beyond_. Stop him from being so  _calculating,_ so  _ruthless._ It was so difficult to argue with him, because he was always so logical. And that pressuring gaze.  
  
Riko felt herself swallow.  
  
It made everything so much more difficult. It made his words absolute, and so much harder to counter. But Riko  _knew_ that she had to counter him. There was no one else in the entire Rakuzan school who even saw the negatives in what Akashi was saying. He would ruin everyone, and then he would ruin  _himself._  
  
Riko remembered the intense need she felt to coach Akashi, so long ago, when she first entered Rakuzan. The memory made her set her jaw in determination, even as her face remained buried. She felt her pride rise again, along with her strength. She would show him her perspective, make him see the other side.  
  
It would be  _so hard,_ though. She didn't even know where to begin.  
  
Briefly, she saw the image of the former first-stringer Tadashi, in the first practice session, and the look of shame and anger in his eyes, flash in her mind. She swallowed again. She thought she had gotten over that, thought she had redeemed herself with Mayuzumi. She groaned and buried her face deeper in her arms.  
  
Then, she felt the ice lolly necklace dangle in her movements. Immediately, she felt a hopeful strength return, countering the feeling of frustration. She thought of Mayuzumi's small smile as he handed the stick to her. Hyuuga's look of determination and resolve. Kiyoshi's broad smile, which made his eyes crinkle even as she felt like crying when she looked at him, on  _that_ stretcher. Her Seirin boys, who were so ridiculous, but lovable at the same time.  
  
And then she smiled, and turned her head to lie on her cheek, facing to the side. She closed her eyes, and lay comfortably on her arms.  
  
____  
  
  
"Kotarou."  
  
Hayama stopped from stretching, standing on one leg, as he warmed down, and turned to look at Akashi. Akashi was looking at him sternly, and holding a sheet of paper out.  
  
Hayama frowned slightly, and dropped his leg on the ground as he extended a hand to take the sheet. Glancing at it, he saw that it was just the schedule for the training camp, with specific information meant only for assistant coaches.  
  
"Pass that to Riko. You are seeing her later, is that correct?"  
  
Hayama nodded, then placed the piece of paper next to his bag on the benches by his side. He lifted another of his legs, and continued stretching, when Akashi continued, "Tell me honestly."  
  
Hayama blinked, and turned back to Akashi. He was still glaring at Hayama, his eyes slightly narrowed. Hayama could feel the usual oppressiveness from his gaze.  
  
"You agreed with the previous training regimen, did you not?"  
  
At the question, Hayama faltered from his position on one leg, gaping at Akashi. He placed his leg down, and scratched his head, looking at Akashi with widened eyes.  
  
"Of course, Akashi!" He said quickly and emphatically. "We needed all that training to make sure we win the Interhigh, like always."  
  
Akashi was still looking at him, eyes still narrowed.  
  
"Rakuzan's victory has to be absolutely certain. So I thought that previous training menu was essential as well," Hayama continued. "Even the daily distance running. I agreed with you."  
  
There was a moment in which Akashi just continued looking at Hayama steadily, and Hayama could only hear the bustle of the first stringers around him packing up to leave.  
  
Then, Akashi nodded, just once, and turned to leave the gym. Hayama continued staring at his retreating back, consciously feeling, and hearing, his heart beating inside him. He wondered why he could hear each beat so acutely.  
  
He turned around to pick up his gym bag, after throwing the training camp schedule into it, and marched out of the gym along with the other first stringers. He only gave Mibuchi and Nebuya a wave as he left; they were still packing up their things. Then he walked towards the direction of his classroom, making a face.  
  
 _Man, Riko's gonna go all ballistic on me._ He groaned loudly to himself, making some of the first stringers around him look at him strangely.  _She always gets like that when it comes to...when it comes to him._  
  
Scowling, he huffed, and then entered his classroom.  
  
"Okay, Riko, I know what you're gonna say-"  
  
He stopped short when he saw her head lying on her desk. He walked up to her silently, and stopped in front of her desk. He tilted his head to peer around her, to look at her face.  
  
She was napping.  
  
 _Riko,_  Hayama thought. Her hair looked soft, especially with the sun shining on her like that.  
  
He extended a hand to touch her head, to touch her hair. But just before he did, he paused as a memory struck him. A memory of himself, and a memory of Akashi.  
  
 _'I agreed with you.'_  
  
In his mind's eye, he saw himself sitting cross-legged next to Mayuzumi. The memory of the conversation he had with him emerged with it.  
  
Hayama closed his eyes and sighed. He dropped his hand. Opening his eyes again, he just looked at Riko.  
  
 _It was just a stupid training regimen,_ Hayama thought, with slight desperation, to himself. He continued looking at her.  
  
The sun's rays danced across the strands of her brown hair, softly, and gently.  
  
____  
  
  
Riko stirred from her nap when she felt something tickle her face. Opening her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of Hayama's face up close to hers. But even closer, was a pen in his hand.  
  
"Gah!"  
  
Riko scrambled away from Hayama, and her hands flew to her face, wiping it. Hayama was on the floor, hooting with laughter, and kicking his legs in hilarity. He was pointing at her, his face red and tears in his eyes.  
  
"You should have seen your face!  _Your face!"_  
  
And he continued whooping and laughing, and kicking his legs, even as Riko growled angrily and kicked him, three  _hard_ kicks. She quickly rummaged in her bag for a small hand mirror, and anxiously held it up. She immediately felt relieved to see that he had only managed to draw a small line on her face, about a centimetre long. Scowling angrily, she threw the mirror into her bag, and rubbed her face with her fingers. Then, she kicked him, hard, again.  
  
It took a while before Hayama's laughter died down, and Riko was crossing her arms and looking away from him in anger, towards the window instead. She refused to shout at him indignantly; she wanted to show him what a  _mature_ response was.  
  
She heard him sigh in mirth, and out of the corner of her eye, saw him extend his hand towards her. "Hey, Riko-"  
  
She was about to lift her hand automatically to grab his hand before he pulled her hair, but he stopped his action himself, all of a sudden, about a few inches from her head. When she turned to look at him, his cheeky smile was frozen on his face as his hand remained near her head.  
  
"What," growled Riko, tilting her head away from his frozen hand.  
  
He lifted the hand to his head, scratching his hair, and his expression turned serious. Then, in just a second, it changed into one of petulance.  
  
"You don't need to lecture me for that earlier thing. I know just everything you're going to say."  
  
Riko blinked, and immediately remembered what she was supposed to do in that classroom. She drew a deep breath. "You were so rude!" She exclaimed, her arms flying out of their crossed position.  
  
She huffed, and glared at him. "I don't even know why you got so angry at Chihiro. He  _helped_ you."  
  
Hayama immediately scowled. "I don't  _need_ his help. I can handle things myself."  
  
"Well, he was a really big help in this situation. I just know you won't care about your physical condition yourself, you're much too clueless," said Riko, waving a dismissive hand. Hayama's scowl deepened. "Can't you just get over your animosity with him and acknowledge that he did something for your benefit this time?"  
  
Riko sighed, and closed her eyes. "I thought both of you were okay after that practice match." When she opened them again, she frowned thoughtfully. "You both cooperated quite well in the second half."  
  
"That was just a match," Hayama said, closing his eyes and waving a hand. Then, he scowled again; it marred his usually cheerful face. "And he didn't help me. There was no need for him to butt in like that." His scowl deepened. "It was just a stupid training regimen. I would've been fine."  
  
" _No_ , you wouldn't be, I've been telling you, your knees-"  
  
" _Enough_ already, Riko," groaned Hayama, lifting his hands to cover his ears. "I know, I  _know,_ I have to take care of myself. Leave me alone."  
  
Riko glared at him, and opened her mouth to continue lecturing him, but he quickly cut her off again by saying, "I have something for you from Akashi."  
  
That immediately distracted her. "Akashi-kun?" she said, with a blink.  
  
"Yeah." Hayama rummaged in his bag and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. "Here."  
  
Riko frowned slightly at the condition of the sheet of paper, but took it and laid it out flat on her desk.  
  
"It's the schedule for the training camp, and some information for assistant coaches."  
  
She continued looking at the schedule. Then, her eyes widened.  
  
The camp was split into two locations over the course of one week. For the first three days, they would be based in an external gym. Riko recognised the name; it was very well-known, perhaps just as famous as her father's. The remaining four days would be back in the Rakuzan school grounds.  
  
But it wasn't the name of the gym that had made Riko falter. It was the fact that the gym was in Hakone.  _That's less than two hours away from Tokyo. Closer than Kyoto is._  
  
"So I asked Reo-nee about that gym in Hakone after Shirogane handed us our schedules. Apparently it's good because there are so many different types of terrains around the location. Even hills and stuff. Last year, we had our camp in Kusatsu, and it was awful. So  _boring,_ " Hayama was saying.  
  
But Riko wasn't paying much attention, because she was thinking of a phone conversation she would be having that night.  
  
____  
  
  
After getting rid of Hayama, who had insisted on talking with her, from basketball to the latest chapter of  _One Piece,_ Riko had immediately rushed back to the female dormitories. She had taken one of the amazing Rakuzan showers at top speed (scrubbing at her face with an angry scowl), and flung herself onto her bed. She then had grabbed her phone and immediately speed-dialled Hyuuga.  
  
"So you're saying that you might be able to come to Tokyo soon?" Hyuuga said excitedly in her ear.  
  
"Yeah," replied Riko, equally excited. She smiled, even though he couldn't see her. "I can't wait to see all of you again."  
  
"When will that be, exactly?" Hyuuga said, and she heard the sounds of him grabbing something, probably a calendar.  
  
"In about two weeks' time," said Riko, and she told him the dates of the training camp.  
  
He immediately fell silent. She could only hear the electronic sounds of static buzzing on the phone. "Hyuuga-kun?"  
  
After a short moment, she heard him clear his throat. "Riko. That's during the preliminaries of the Interhigh."  
  
Riko dropped the phone. She heard him say, "Riko? Can you hear me?" and then she scrambled to pick it up again.  
  
"Hyuuga-kun, I'm so sorry!" She said breathlessly into the phone. Frowning, she continued, "I forgot that the preliminaries are held during that time." She sighed, and leaned her forehead onto one of her hands. "Rakuzan doesn't have to go through them, it automatically qualifies to compete in the Interhigh. Because it's been participating in the competition for so long,  _and_ been reaching the finals for the past few years so regularly."  
  
She heard Hyuuga sigh as well. "Yeah." Then, after a moment of silence, he said, "Why don't you come watch us in one of the preliminary matches, then?"  
  
Riko blinked, then immediately felt her lips stretch into a smile. "That's a great idea! I would love to see how much you all have improved." She narrowed her eyes, and said teasingly, "I hope you didn't slack off after I left."  
  
"We didn't." Riko heard steady determination in his tone. "We practised perhaps even more than last year. And," she heard him take a deep breath. "I think we actually have a shot at participating in the actual Interhigh this year."  
  
At his words, Riko felt a warmth blossom in her chest. She hugged her knees, and leaned on them with a smile. "And that promise-"  
  
"And we can definitely fulfil that promise to Kiyoshi." He paused, and Riko heard the electronic buzzing again. "It's been hard without you, but I think..." She heard him take a breath again. "I think we can make it this year. With everyone in Seirin working together."  
  
The warmth spread across Riko's whole body, and she struggled to keep it contained within her. She leaned her forehead against her knees, and hid her eyes.  
  
Struggling to maintain an even tone, she said softly into the phone, "Yeah." Then, she looked up, and said more strongly, "So I'll see you in Tokyo soon!" She paused, taking a breath. "When you play in the preliminaries."  
  
And then she smiled, affectionately, and gently.


	14. Unsolicited Whispers

Akashi looked out of the tinted bus windows, his eyebrows in a slight furrow, and his shapely chin lightly resting on one of his hands. Although the lines of trees the bus was driving by were in full bloom, the colours blurring into one another in the window, Akashi wasn't paying attention to the view outside.  
  
He was on one of the three buses which were bringing the whole Rakuzan basketball team, all three strings included, to Hakone. The first stringers and coaches shared a bus, while the remaining two strings were in another two buses. Akashi could barely hear the sounds of the engines running; the bus was moving so silently on the road. However, in his current frame of mind, even the murmurings of the first stringers around him sounded distant to him.  
  
Akashi let out a quiet breath, and closed his eyes.  
  
He was seeing Mayuzumi in his mind's eye. During the two weeks before the training camp started, he had improved even more than he had before. The speed at which he improved was greater than even Akashi had predicted. He almost never missed his shots anymore, and his misdirection training was progressing so well that it brought back memories of Tetsuya.  
  
Tetsuya.  
  
Akashi leaned his head against the window next to him, still with closed eyes. The pane was cold to the touch, despite the bright rays of the sun shining on the window.  
  
Tetsuya's misdirection had helped the team so much during the championship matches. It was beautiful, the way he anticipated the opponents' movements to redirect their passes. It was everything Akashi had ever wanted in basketball: prediction of an opponents' move. Slipping through intricate defences. And then severing the attack.  
  
But even more beautiful was the level at which Tetsuya had interpreted his hints.  
  
Magic tricks. It was absurd. Akashi had honestly wanted to laugh in his face when he found out the secret behind Tetsuya's invisible passes. But the nonsensical nature of the idea itself was beautiful in its deceptiveness. No one would have thought of it. No one except Tetsuya.  
  
Akashi let out another quiet breath. When he opened his eyes, he caught sight of a road sign. ' _Kanagawa prefecture border ahead.'_  
  
An absent thought rose in his mind.  _Ryouta's school is situated here._  
  
Immediately, the memory of Kise trying to force one of his ridiculous fan gifts into Akashi's hands flooded Akashi's mind. And with it, the blurred images of his rapid imitative shots of their many hapless opponents.  
  
Akashi felt the familiar disquietude rising within him, and he closed his eyes again. But before he could take another breath, an unbidden thought rose in his mind, a piece of useless information that should have been buried and snuffed out since he entered high school.  
  
 _Ryouta's birthday has recently passed._  
  
Akashi immediately frowned at himself. Pointless. It only took up space in his mind.  
  
He reached up to rub his forehead, but before he made contact, he was interrupted by a noise. He turned to face it- it was Riko, her shrill voice telling off Hayama for the fourteenth time that day.  
  
Suddenly, dark blue eyes filled his vision. Blue eyes with so much defiance and uncontrollability, but sparkled so much in tandem with basketball thumps. And with it, the sounds of the boy's carefree laughter and vehement protestations at everything Akashi said.  
  
After just a second, the image disappeared. Akashi frowned again, and then focused his gaze on Riko.  
  
He narrowed his eyes.  
  
That  _voice._ It was filled with such-  
  
Akashi reached up to rub his forehead.  
  
____  
  
Riko shrieked for the how many'th time that day (she'd lost count) as Hayama pulled the little ponytail on the back of her head, his devilish grin intact on his face. He howled with laughter at her reaction, and she angrily reached over to whack him.  
  
"Hayama-kun,  _please._ Just  _stop_ this," she said, with gritted teeth, and trying to keep her voice down in the crowded bus.  
  
"I can't," Hayama sang, with an even wider grin than before. "It just looks so much like a chicken's ass."  
  
To Riko's great dismay, she was stuck next to Hayama for the entire five-hour bus ride. Earlier that morning, she had been in the process of walking up to Mayuzumi with a smile, to invite him to sit with her, and he had turned to her with a small smile of his own. But before she could open her mouth, Hayama had grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the bus with him immediately, yelling out, "Come on, Riko, let's get the best seats in the bus!"  
  
She had haplessly looked back Mayuzumi as she felt herself pulled by Hayama  _again,_ but he only had his blank expression intact as he watched her. And even though she had tried to wrangle herself free while shouting at Hayama, as usual, he hadn't listened to her or let her go.  
  
Riko sighed, slumping down in her seat, in response to Hayama's words. Then, she straightened up, and turned her head round to look at Mayuzumi at the back of the bus, looking in between Mibuchi and Nebuya behind her and Hayama.  
  
He was alone in the corner of the bus, sitting with his legs up on his seat. He was reading a light novel.  
  
She frowned, and felt a pang as she gazed at the lonely picture of him. She had so wanted to have a calm journey to Hakone, with Mayuzumi next to her.  
  
"Hey, Riko, check out my biceps."  
  
Hayama's  _annoying_ voice cut through the silence again, and she turned to look at him with an even deeper scowl. He was flexing them, and looking at each bicep with a grin. He turned to look at her.  
  
"I've built so much muscle over the past two weeks thanks to the new training regimen! Isn't it awesome?" he said, and grinned even more widely.  
  
Riko sighed in response, and just shook her head at him.  
  
"What?" said Hayama.  
  
She turned away from Hayama, to look at Shirogane-sensei instead. When her eyes fell on his figure, they narrowed. Never mind Hayama for now. She had more important things to think about.  
  
Behind her, Nebuya sat up in his seat, and leaned his arms on the back of Riko's seat. He rapped Hayama's head, and Hayama turned to look at him.  
  
With a wide grin, he began to say, "You can't beat the look of  _my_ muscles-"  
  
"I don't want to," Hayama said immediately.  
  
Nebuya scowled. "Kotarou, you little-"  
  
"Excuse me," Riko interrupted the burgeoning quarrel. She stood up in her seat. "I need to speak with Shirogane-sensei."  
  
Both Hayama and Nebuya turned to look at her, their mouths half-open.  
  
Feeling her eyebrow twitching, she pushed Hayama aside, and clambered over his knees to stand on the corridor in between the lines of seats. She steadied herself by holding the backs of two seats, and then looked towards Shirogane-sensei.  
  
With Seirin in her mind, she narrowed her eyes in determination, and then moved towards him, wobbling slightly as the bus moved.  
  
____  
  
  
Hayama grumbled in annoyance as Riko climbed over him. When she stood next to him on the corridor, he chanced a glance downwards. Her skirt was moving in tandem with the vibrations of the bus. And it was fluttering from a slight draft in the vehicle.  
  
He cracked a mischievous grin, then leaned forwards, stretching out his hand to flick her skirt upwards-  
  
"Stop it, Kotarou-chan."  
  
He felt a thwack on the head, and frowned immediately at the blow. He moved to rub his head instead, and turned to look behind.  
  
It was Reo-nee, of course, and he was giving him a disapproving frown.  
  
Hayama sighed, and leaned back into his seat, seeing Riko move to the front of the bus out of the corner of his eye. He turned around to face Mibuchi and Nebuya, with a childish pout.  
  
"Reo-nee, you never let me do anything fun."  
  
Mibuchi's frown deepened, and he gave Hayama another whack on the head. "You have to learn how to treat girls better, Kotarou-chan."  
  
"It's only Riko," whined Hayama, rubbing his head again.  
  
"Riko-chan  _is_ a girl," Mibuchi scolded Hayama, and moved to cuff him on the head again.  
  
"Ow,  _ow,_ _stop_ it, Reo-nee-"  
  
"Guys."  
  
Mibuchi and Hayama stopped tussling to look at Nebuya. But he wasn't looking at them, he had turned back to look towards the back of the bus, and he was frowning slightly.  
  
"Do you...uh..." Nebuya paused to scratch his head, then he turned to look at Mibuchi and Hayama. "Do you think we should...ask Mayuzumi to hang out with us?"  
  
At the mention of Mayuzumi's name, Hayama immediately contorted his face into a deep scowl. He crossed his arms, and huffed in irritation.  
  
" _No_ , Eikichi," he said, through gritted teeth.  
  
Mibuchi and Nebuya exchanged looks, then Nebuya said tentatively, "Well, he's actually been getting marginally okay at basketball lately-"  
  
"He's still not as good as we are," Hayama interrupted, still crossing his arms.  
  
Nebuya exchanged a glance with Mibuchi again, then began, "I feel like I can at the  _very least,_ try to start passing to him during matches now-"  
  
"No," said Hayama. He gripped his arms tightly in its crossed position. "What, because of all his misdirection shit? The hell's up with that anyway. We play  _basketball,_ we're not a circus."  
  
"It worked really well during that two-on-two practice matc-"  
  
"Okay, look _._ " Hayama took a deep breath. "Fine.  _Fine._ I can admit that. I'm willing to cooperate with him in basketball. And I am willing to accept all that misdirection crap, no matter how ridiculous it is, because it was Akashi's idea to begin with."  
  
He paused to scowl even more deeply. "But there's no way,  _no way,_  I'm gonna hang out with him." He scoffed, and threw Mayuzumi a glare, where he was still reading at the back of the bus. "He's such a loser,  _reading_ all the time. I bet he thinks he's better than us."  
  
Nebuya looked uncertain. "I  _really_ doubt that, Kotarou..."  
  
"No, he does. He thinks he can solve everything." Hayama clenched his teeth as he remembered the incident during the practice session. As he remembered Riko's look of relief the moment Mayuzumi appeared, and his own...his own-  
  
"Well, I don't think he thinks he's better than us," said Mibuchi, interrupting Hayama's thoughts. Mibuchi crossed his arms too, and with narrowed eyes, glanced at Mayuzumi from the corner of his eye. "But I do get the feeling he doesn't really like us as individuals. Probably the same way we don't concern ourselves with him, outside of basketball."  
  
Mibuchi sighed, then leaned back in his seat, so Hayama had to crane his neck to continue looking at him. "Anyway, I don't care if we hang out with him or not." He turned to look at Nebuya with narrowed eyes. "He's only a basketball teammate. We're not here to be friends. We're here to play basketball."  
  
At his words, Nebuya blinked, then looked downwards.  
  
"So it doesn't matter to me either way. If we end up being friends with him, that's fine. If not, that's okay too. The most important thing is that Rakuzan always wins," finished Mibuchi.  
  
" _Yeah_ ," Hayama said vehemently, with a nod. He scowled again. "The less time I spend with him the better."  
  
Nebuya turned to look outside the window, while Mibuchi closed his eyes next to him to take a nap.  
  
Hayama just continued crossing his arms, gripping them tightly, and his scowl still etched deeply on his face.  
  
____  
  
  
Meanwhile, Riko had wobbled over to Shirogane-sensei on the moving bus, and finally found herself standing next to his seat. He turned at her presence, and the moment he saw her, he sighed wearily.  
  
Riko struggled to keep an irritated frown from her face as he asked her monotonously, "What is it, Aida?"  
  
"Sensei!" Riko said. She took a deep breath. "I have to make a respectful request."  
  
She caught him saying something to himself under his breath, and then he said, "Alright. What is this request?"  
  
She bit her lip, then took another breath. "I would like to request...to take half a day off on the day we return to Kyoto. I have an urgent business in Tokyo, and would need to make a trip there on that day."  
  
After Hyuuga had told her the timing of Seirin's preliminary matches, Riko had spent the past few weeks hoping frantically for Seirin to make it all the way to the semi-finals and finals of the preliminaries, because they were both held on the same day and coincided during the training camp period. When Hyuuga finally told her the week before that Seirin had progressed that far, she cackled so happily in her room that several of her dorm mates had told her the next day, that there was a banshee of some sort in the dormitories.  
  
In her happiness, she thought of Kiyoshi, and Hyuuga's words, and their promise. And the joy threatened to engulf her whole being- she felt as though she was moving towards a certain sweet resolution, which would counter any doubt and insecurity she had in herself before.

Even though Seirin was up against Seihou High in the semi-finals, Riko somehow felt as though things would be okay. It was the way Hyuuga had stated it to her.

 _'I think we can make it this year.'_  

His words, so full of conviction and resolve, elicited a pleasant sense of hope and idealism within her. With renewed vigour, she had spent the next few days crafting out a script to convince Shirogane-sensei.

At her words, Shirogane had immediately frowned. He turned away from her to look down at the book in his hands.  
  
"You are an assistant coach. The reason the school granted us this leave of absence for the students and coaches is so that you can work this week." He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "What if you are needed during training?"  
  
Riko frowned as well, and then immediately tried to smoothen it into a forced smile. "Well, Shirogane-sensei, you're such a wonderful coach already! I'm sure you don't need me there for those few hours."  
  
She saw his eyebrow twitch slightly, then he sighed. "Nevertheless, having you there might be helpful."  
  
Riko struggled to keep her frustration down. What happened to all his doubt in her just a few weeks ago? She took a quiet breath, then said, "I need to go to Tokyo...because my father has requested to see me."  
  
"That's even  _more_ reason not to let you go," Shirogane-sensei said immediately, one eyebrow twitching.  
  
"Fine." Riko exhaled, then focused her gaze on Shirogane-sensei, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. "I want to go because I want to watch Seirin during the Interhigh preliminaries."  
  
There was a moment of silence. Shirogane-sensei didn't give any indication that he had heard her.  
  
Then, he cleared his throat, and turned to her with a hard gaze. "Aida. Riko. You are in Rakuzan now. Inanities such as whether your previous school gets through to the Interhigh shouldn't concern you."  
  
"I know," Riko said quickly. "I just..." She trailed off, uncertain of what to say.  
  
"You should stop thinking about the past." Shirogane-sensei's eyes narrowed. "It is not helpful to Rakuzan.  _Sentiment_ is pointless. Rakuzan's way is to only think about what can be done _now_ to guarantee victory."  
  
Riko blinked, and swallowed. She looked at the bus floor, feeling the vibrations of the bus as it moved.  
  
"But you may have those few hours off."  
  
Riko's eyes widened immediately, and her head flew upwards to look at Shirogane-sensei. He wasn't looking at her anymore; he was perusing the book in his hands.  
  
"Thank you, sens-"  
  
"The visit may teach you some things. Give you some closure." He glared at her from the corner of his eye. "I don't want to hear something like this from you again, Aida."  
  
Riko nodded quickly, and as he turned back to his book, she turned to wobble back to her seat.  
  
But she couldn't keep the grin spreading across her face, and a warm sense of anticipation blossoming in her chest.  
  
____  
  
  
When they arrived at the Hakone gym a few hours later, it was already late in the evening, and Riko was sore all over and cranky to boot. Because she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep throughout the bus journey.  
  
 _Hayama,_ on the other hand, had slept soundly, using her as a pillow throughout the entire ride. It had been an absolute chore, trying to push away his dead weight  _and_ keep his drool from getting on her. He was such a nightmare.  
  
So when she got out of the bus, she sighed and stretched her whole body. Then, she looked with admiration at the sight of the gym. It looked like a top notch facility for physical training, and was surrounded by lovely Japanese maple trees, making a pretty picture. It had a certain rustic quality and design, and the air was fresh and crisp thanks to the many trees dotting the landscape around the building. It made the gym look more like a tourist destination than a training facility. There were various other vehicles in the compound aside from their three buses, indicating the quality and popularity of the training centre.  
  
Riko got her own room for the three days in Hakone, and she happily decided to take the opportunity to catch up on all her lost sleep that day. The showers in the gym were just as wonderful as the ones in Rakuzan, and it did much to flush away the remaining feelings of irritation and frustration at Hayama.  
  
Just before she lay her head on her pillow, she placed her makeshift ice lolly stick necklace carefully on her bedside table, and looked upon it with a smile.  
  
It was such a mundane object- a piece of rubbish, really, but it elicited so much emotion within her. Mayuzumi's scribble stood out against the cream colour of the little piece of wood. Right now, looking at it enhanced her current mood of happiness and anticipation. At the thought of seeing her Seirin friends in just a few days.  
  
Riko widened her smile, then stretched her hand to switch off her table lamp. She lay her head on the pillow, and looked at the little stick for a while, in the greyish darkness of her room. Then, she closed her eyes.  
  
____  
  
  
The bright rays of the sun streamed through the large glass windows of the gym, illuminating the painted white lines of the basketball courts and the many fluid arcs of balls being thrown into numerous hoops. The sounds of thumps and thuds of basketball bounces filled the air, along with the squeaks of rubber shoes on a smooth surface. It was the morning after the Rakuzan basketball team arrived in Hakone, and they had already started their basketball practice sessions.  
  
Akashi was standing by the side of the gym. He observed the first stringers doing their shooting drills, his arms crossed, and a slight frown adorning his perfect features.  
  
Each of the first stringer threw in perfect jump shots, perfect free throws, perfect layups. It was like watching a line of mechanical toy soldiers, each one performing the same movements: run, jump, shoot. And then each ball flying in perfectly into the hoop.  
  
Akashi turned his head to look at Mayuzumi. He was executing a jump shot, his eyebrows slightly furrowed in concentration. As he released the shot, the ball flew straight into the hoop.  
  
 _He's the very thing Rakuzan's basketball needs. A player who will be able to shoot regardless of any defences._  
  
Akashi frowned, and lifted a hand to rub his forehead.  
  
 _Much better than Tetsuya._  
  
He turned to look at the remaining regulars. Mibuchi was on the three point line in front of one of the many baskets in the court, practising three-pointers. Nebuya was practising his ball-handling by the other side of the gym.  
  
Hayama was frowning in concentration, doing a powerful drive towards one of the baskets- the ball couldn't be seen in his dribbling. With his speed, he was at the basket within seconds, and he proceeded to leap up gracefully, dunking the ball in with immense strength. The hoop let out a metallic rattle as he let go of it, and landed on the court floor.  
  
 _This is better._ _They are my players._ Akashi narrowed his eyes.  _They listen to me...with absolute obedience._  
  
In his mind's eye, Akashi saw Hayama, nodding in agreement with him for a new, modified training plan. It had only been the week before, when Akashi had been looking through the records of the regulars, and he noticed that Hayama's running speed hadn't increased in a month. Akashi had immediately felt dissatisfied. Not good enough. Not good enough for Rakuzan.  
  
And so, he ordered Hayama to change his training plan. Instead of swimming on alternate days, he would do interval runs instead. It was more important for Hayama to build his speed for the next few weeks than his endurance.  
  
At this, Hayama had blinked in surprise, and looked away uncertainly. But the moment Akashi repeated his request, with a hint of irritation in his tone, Hayama had turned back and nodded, saying, "Of course, Akashi! If you think this is needed."  
  
 _Yes. This is much better._  
  
He turned to look back at Mayuzumi. He blinked.  
  
Riko was now there with him.  
  
Mayuzumi had a small smile on his face as Riko stood next to him; it stood contrastingly against the rest of his features. It contradicted the usual blankness of his face. Like a simple, black calligraphy brush stroke, on a blank piece of canvas.  
  
Akashi felt his eyes narrow.  
  
Akashi couldn't comprehend it; Mayuzumi had improved far more after the two-on-two practice match than before it. It was befuddling. Akashi really hadn't expected that rate of improvement.  _Was it because of..._  
  
Riko was explaining something to Mayuzumi, with a smile on her face. It made her face look gentle, it made her look tender, and Akashi was not used to the sight. She always looked tense to him. Defiant, to him. It made Akashi himself feel strained himself, something so uncommon to him until recently. In instances like that, Akashi would always be swift and certain, in severing the root of rebellion before it had time to fester.  
  
But in this instance, something stilled Akashi. He remembered how she had pinpointed Mayuzumi's problem back in that first session, how she had analysed Shuutoku's strateg-  
  
Akashi rubbed his forehead with slender fingers.  
  
For a brief moment, he saw the image of a tall black-haired boy smiling, and reaching out to clap his shoulder. It only lasted a second.  
  
Akashi blinked. The image disappeared.  
  
He hardened his gaze, and swept it across the whole gym, past all the players practising. He ignored a mild aching sensation in his head.  
  
In his heart.


	15. Fellowship to Tokyo

To Riko, the next two days in Hakone passed by in a blur of basketball practice sessions, instructing the players, and shrugging off various Hayama irritations. It was now the evening of the third day of the training camp, and Riko was feeling the anticipation bubble within her at the thought of seeing her Seirin boys the next day. She couldn't wait to see how much they had improved. She couldn't wait to see Hyuuga's steely, determined look, Mitobe's gentle eyes, Tsuchida's ever-present grin. She even couldn't wait to listen to one of Izuki's puns, or one of Koganei's ridiculous statements. She couldn't wait to meet the new first-years, and to see Kagami and Kuroko's amazing partnership on the court.  
  
But most of all, she couldn't wait to see Kiyoshi.  
  
His birthday had recently passed, and the phone call she had had with him on that day was not enough. It had been difficult for Riko to listen to Hyuuga babble about the birthday party they had thrown for him at the hospital. Koganei had apparently dressed up as a clown. Izuki had performed a painful stand-up comedy show until even the nurses told him to kindly shut up or the whole group would have to be kicked out of the hospital. Needless to say, Hyuuga had sounded very irritated at that part of the story, and had told her with great detail how he had physically manhandled Izuki into shutting up.  
  
Even as Riko tried to be happy for all the fun they had had, she felt pangs of loneliness; it was like being stabbed by daggers as she tried to keep smiling through each anecdote. She had missed them  _so much._  
  
But now, she was given the chance to see them. To physically  _touch_ them, and hug them. The thought filled Riko with so much bliss.  
  
She couldn't wait to give Kiyoshi the birthday gift she had bought for him specially from Kyoto.  
  
Riko was still smiling as she picked up the sports drink she had bought from the vending machine. As she uncapped it, she was interrupted by a call.  
  
"Riko!"  
  
Riko turned towards Hayama, who had called her. He was grinning, and Mibuchi and Nebuya were also sporting wide grins behind him.  
  
"Wanna play table tennis with us?" said Hayama, and he emphasised the question with a gesture like he was hitting a table tennis bat.  
  
"We have about an hour's break before the next training session starts," Mibuchi added, his eyes crinkling cheerfully.  
  
Riko looked at them doubtfully, and took a sip from her sports drink. "I don't know how to play table tennis," she said uncertainly.  
  
"That's alright, Riko-chan!" Nebuya said, giving her a thumbs up. "It's just for fun anyway."  
  
"Yeah, come  _on_ Riko!" said Hayama, with his characteristic whine. "We need another person, or we can't play doubles."  
  
"You need a fourth person?" Riko asked, her eyebrows raised. "What about Chihiro?"  
  
At her question, Nebuya immediately looked away, scratching his head, while Mibuchi sighed. Hayama, on the other hand, had contorted his face into a deep scowl.  
  
"He's...uh..." Nebuya began, still scratching his head.  
  
"We couldn't find him," Hayama interjected forcefully. Riko turned to look at him, and raised an eyebrow. "He's probably...reading somewhere," he continued.  
  
Riko looked at them suspiciously for a moment. Nebuya was still looking away from her, while Mibuchi was looking at the floor with a slight frown. However, Hayama was meeting her eye to eye, his eyebrows arranged in a determined scowl.  
  
She sighed, and then said, "Fiine..."  
  
"Great!" Hayama perked up immediately, and reached out to grab her wrist.  
  
"Wait, Hayama-kun-" Riko began to say, but ended up sighing as he dragged her all the way to the table tennis area.  
  
She found herself standing next to Hayama on one side of the table, opposite Mibuchi and Nebuya on the other end. She sighed again as she looked at their overly eager faces, then lifted up her hand grasping the bat.  
  
"So is this how it's supposed to be held?" She said to Hayama, holding out her hand with the bat towards him.  
  
Hayama glanced at it, and immediately flinched. "No, Riko. Here..." and he moved to rearrange her fingers on the bat.  
  
They got ready to start the game, Hayama crouching down slightly next to Riko. "Are you sure it's supposed to be held like this?" Riko turned to Hayama again. "It doesn't feel right."  
  
"Yeah,  _yeah,_ Riko, it is. Stop talking already, I want to start playing!" he replied impatiently.  
  
Riko scowled, but couldn't do anything else as the game started. Riko didn't have to do much for the first few rallies, as Hayama was so quick and agile that he leapt across to her side of the table to counter every hit towards her.  
  
And then, after several minutes of rallying, Mibuchi tapped the ball directly to her corner.  
  
Hayama lunged across, but couldn't reach it. It bounced on the table, and started flying towards Riko.  
  
"Get it, Riko!"  
  
Riko pulled up her bat to face the ball as it flew towards her, and flicked her hand to hit it. Then suddenly, she wasn't holding anything anymore- her hand was empty.  
  
" _Whoah!"_  
  
Nebuya ducked as the bat flew at his face, and it hit the wall behind him, making a loud sound. Several of the other people in the room turned to look at the commotion. The bat bounced off the surface of the wall, and fell to the floor in a resounding clatter.  
  
All of them stared at the bat for a moment. Then, the three boys turned to look at Riko, who blinked.  
  
Riko huffed, and crossed her arms. "I told you I didn't know how to play table tennis."  
  
____  
  
  
"Oh, come on, Riko, even you have to admit you totally  _suck_ at table tennis!" Hayama was calling out to Riko as she walked huffily away from him.  
  
" _Ko_ _tarou-chan,_ " she heard Mibuchi say, and then there was a subsequent  _thwack_ and an "ow!".  
  
"I'm going to get some water," she said, with gritted teeth, and without looking back at them, she walked towards the exit of the room.  
  
After the flying bat incident, they had continued playing a few more rounds. But after several  _more_  flying bats, Nebuya had told her, while trying to control his laughter, that they had better stop "for the safety of the other visitors". Hayama, of course, hadn't even bothered trying to hide his laughter- he was howling on the floor. Mibuchi had kindly patted her on the head, but she had felt so irritated with the other boys that she had to get away from them.  
  
Still huffing periodically, she continued walking down the corridors of the gym, not even bothering to glance at the beautiful paintings adorning the walls alongside her. Just as she approached the ornate wooden doors that signalled the exit, to access a row of vending machines outside, she glanced to the right, and spotted Mayuzumi reading alone on one of the plush couches in the reception.  
  
She felt herself smile immediately, nearly forgetting her earlier irritation, and walked up to him. "Chihiro."  
  
He looked up from his light novel, and quirked a small smile. "Hey, Riko."  
  
At the sight of his smile, Riko immediately felt the remaining feelings of irritation ebb away. "What are you reading?" She moved to sit next to him, feeling her smile broadening.  
  
He turned the novel with deliberate slowness, showing her the cover. "It's that light novel I told you about." His eyes crinkled slightly. "I'm reading it again."  
  
"Is it that good?" Riko said, and she leaned over to read the page he was looking at. As she leaned close to him, he blinked at her proximity, and looked at her carefully.  
  
"Riko."  
  
"Hm?" she said, still trying to read the page.  
  
"You're sweating."  
  
She turned to look at him with raised eyebrows, then made a face. "Yeah...I played table tennis with the others earlier."  
  
He continued looking at her carefully for a moment, then set down the book on his lap. He turned to reach his gym bag by his legs, and rummaged through it. After a few seconds, he pulled out a towel.  
  
Riko raised an eyebrow. "What are you-"  
  
But she couldn't finish her sentence because he had pushed the towel onto her face. At the action, she immediately felt whiffs of laundry soap scent, crisp and fresh, assault her nose.  
  
"Use this to wipe off your sweat."  
  
When she irritatedly pulled the towel off her face, he was looking back at the novel, although she could  _swear_ she could see the corners of his mouth twitching.  
  
As she wiped off her sweat, the crisp scent of the soap wafting lazily over her with her brisk movements, she watched Mayuzumi quietly reading, and felt her gaze soften. This atmosphere. She felt a pleasant sense of comfort spread languidly through her. This camaraderie. It felt so familiar. It felt like she hadn't experienced this in such a long time.  
  
Riko felt the corners of her lips turn upwards tenderly as she continued observing him, although she was also seeing something else in her mind's eye. It wouldn't be such a long time, though, because in less than 24 hours, she was going to-  
  
"Chihiro."  
  
He blinked as she suddenly called his name, and looked up from the novel. She felt her heart beating excitedly as he met her eyes.  
  
"I'm going to Tokyo tomorrow morning to meet friends from my previous school." She took an excited breath, then let it out in a whoosh as she said, "Do you want to come with me?"  
  
He blinked again at her question, then looked down at his book with a slight frown. As she continued watching him, her heart pounding inside her, he said, still frowning at his book, "I'm not sure...we're supposed to head back to Kyoto, and then continue practising in the school gym."  
  
"Don't worry about that," Riko said quickly. She smiled reassuringly at him. "Shirogane-sensei has given his permission to me. We can head to Tokyo from here early tomorrow morning, then just take the train back to Kyoto later in the afternoon. We'll be back in the evening, and practice wouldn't even have finished."  
  
He continued frowning. "I don't know if he'll allow  _me_ to go. I'm the regular who needs the most practice out of everyone."  
  
"I'm sure he'll let you if we just ask him," Riko tried to convince him. "It's not like you're missing a lot of the practice anyway, it's only a few hours."  
  
He fell silent at her words, thinking. Riko continued watching him, feeling nervousness build inside her.  
  
"I'd really love for you to come with me, Chihiro," Riko tried to say after a few seconds of silence. "I want everyone in Seirin to meet you." She smiled at him again. "I think you'll like them, and  _they'll_ really like you. I'm sure of it."  
  
A few more seconds of silence passed, as he continued thinking, looking at his book all the while. Then, just as Riko was about to convince him again, he looked up to face her. He quirked his small smile, and Riko felt the nervousness within her fade away. He always managed to give her that sense of comfort.  
  
"Well, then, I guess there's no reason for me not to go to Tokyo if Shirogane'd allow me-"  
  
"What's this about going to Tokyo?"  
  
Riko jumped at the sound, and she turned to see Hayama, Mibuchi and Nebuya standing behind their couch. Even Mayuzumi raised his eyebrows at the sudden intrusion.  
  
It had been Hayama who had asked the question, and he had the usual scowl on his face, every time he saw Mayuzumi.  
  
"Oh, I'm going to Tokyo tomorrow morning, just for a few hours," Riko replied, frowning inwardly at his rudeness. He really was insufferable; no amount of telling him off did any good. "To see friends from Seirin, and to watch them compete in the Interhigh preliminaries. And I invited Chihiro to come along."  
  
Hayama blinked at her statement, while Mibuchi's eyes went wide and Nebuya raised his eyebrows.  
  
"To Tokyo?" Mibuchi said, with a gasp. "That's so sudden, Riko-chan-"  
  
"We're coming along," Hayama interrupted forcefully, his scowl back in place on his face.  
  
Everyone turned to look at Hayama with raised eyebrows. After a few moments of silence, Riko slowly nodded.  
  
"That would be fine with me, if you really want to," she said, her fingers twitching as she struggled to keep her hands from going into fists. He was such a  _child,_ inviting himself to something he had just intruded upon. Still, there was no reason for her not to let him come along, it might actually be fun with all of them heading to Tokyo together.  
  
Then she frowned in thought. "But I don't think Shirogane-sensei would allow so many regulars to just up and leave practice tomorrow."  
  
"Oh, it'll be fine," replied Hayama, waving his hand dismissively. "We'll just tell him we're checking out the potential competition. Since you  _will_  be watching the preliminaries of the Interhigh after all."  
  
"Yeaah! A trip to Tokyo!" Nebuya tried to cheer, but a nervous tone could be heard in his voice.  
  
Mibuchi sighed, and raised a hand to run through his hair. "I suppose it would be useful to see who our potential competitors from Tokyo are," he said with a slight frown. He turned to Riko with a gentle smile. "And I would like to see how Riko-chan is around her Seirin friends."  
  
"Great," Riko said, wondering how she got into this situation. Oh wait. Hayama. It was  _always_ Hayama. "So we're all going to Tokyo tomorrow morning then." Then she smiled. "It might be quite fun."  
  
She got up from the couch and handed Mayuzumi his towel (he had kept a carefully blank expression throughout the conversation with the other boys; Riko secretly wondered how he felt, but thought it might be good to have him interact with the others in a fun setting), then turned to the exit.  
  
"Okay, I'll let Shirogane-sensei know." She paused, frowning slightly. As she lifted a hand towards her throat, she swallowed, acutely feeling the dryness on her tongue. "But for now, I  _really_ need to get some water."  
  
And she left Mayuzumi reading on the couch with the other three boys standing behind him to walk through the wooden double doors leading outside.  
  
____  
  
Riko walked on the pavement by the parking lot of the gym, her shoes making a silent clatter on the concrete surface. The moon was partially covered by clouds, so the silver light it cast down on the many vehicles alongside her was diminished. It made the metallic surfaces gleam dully. The street lamps illuminated the pavement in front of Riko in an odd other-worldly manner, making the corridor she was on look isolated and bleak. It was so quiet around her; she could only hear distant sounds of traffic on the road beyond the compound and parking lot.  
  
She glanced up to look at the row of vending machines in front of her as she approached them; the glow from the machines cast dimly down on the neat arrangement of concrete stones. She immediately felt grateful at the sight of them, and swallowed, feeling the parchedness at the back of her throat.  
  
Then, she stopped in her tracks and blinked.  
  
There was a boy kicking one of the vending machines and cursing. He had piercings on both his ears and his hair was done in cornrows, stopping in several short braids at the back of his neck.  
  
As she drew nearer to him, she overheard his muttered curses, "Shit, fuck, why doesn't this fucking machine give me this  _fucking_  drink already-"  
  
He kicked the bottom of the vending machine again, letting out another string of swear words. Then, he pulled back, and made a fist. As he punched the glass surface of the vending machine, he growled, "I can't believe I lost that damn practice match. I need a  _fucking_  drink."  
  
The machine made a loud cracking sound, but didn't do anything else.  
  
Riko winced at the sound, but merely walked up to him. She fixed a smile on her face, and then said, "You need to hit the machine at a specific angle. Look."  
  
He turned to look at her, raising his eyebrows in surprise at her sudden presence. She stood beside him, then punched the vending machine on its left side. Immediately, the sound of a drink clattering down the machine's internal contraptions filled the air. It emerged in the slot at the bottom, hitting the raised edge of the slot with a resounding click.  
  
She turned to smile at the boy. "See?"  
  
He crouched down to pick the drink out of the slot as Riko moved to the machine next to him, and inserted a few coins into it for a bottle of water of her own. As she leaned down to grab the bottle when it emerged from the slot of her machine, she heard him say, "Who the hell are you?"  
  
She picked up the bottle and straightened up to look at him. As she uncapped the bottle of water, she said to him, "I'm a student from a Kyoto high school, just here for a basketball training camp. I'm an assistant coach." She paused to take a sip from the bottle. "I overheard you talking about a practice match. So you must also be here for a training camp. Basketball too...?"  
  
"Yeah," he said, and scowled. He uncapped his own sports drink and took a large swig of it. "I just lost the match. It's all the fault of my fucking teammates." He scowled even deeper. "They're so pathetic and weak in basketball."  
  
"I don't think you should blame your teammates for that," Riko said, wincing internally at his foul language. But she was beginning to feel irritated with the boy. "Basketball is a team sport, so the result is always a collective effort, win or lose." She narrowed her eyes at him. "And it's only a practice match, so you should take the chance to improve from it."  
  
"Who the hell are you to tell me these things?" He snarled immediately, gripping his sports drink tightly. "You're just someone from some school I don't give a fuck about."  
  
Riko felt herself grip her own bottle tightly at his words, but didn't say anything in response; she was taking another sip of water.  
  
Then he suddenly narrowed his eyes at her, scrutinising her carefully.  
  
She pulled down the bottle from her mouth, and met his angry gaze, eye to eye. She refused to back down to him, no matter how many foul words he would spew. Internally, however, she distantly heard alarm bells ringing. A sense of caution was burgeoning within her.  
  
He suddenly smirked. "Hey, you're pretty cute, for some loud-mouthed girl." His smirk grew wider. "Wanna have fun with me? I gotta vent all my excess frustration."  
  
Riko blinked at his sudden change in expression, then frowned. "No. I have to get back to my team. They're waiting for me." She turned, and started to walk away from him, trying to project confidence and firmness. The alarm bells were louder in her head, and she felt her heart beginning to beat more quickly.  
  
She suddenly felt him grab her wrist from behind. The bottle of water she had been holding fell to the ground, spilling water everywhere. She turned immediately, her face contorting into an angry scowl.  
  
"Let go of me!"  
  
He was still smirking, and then he said, "As you wish." And he suddenly let her go, making her stumble. But before she could try to regain her balance, he slung an arm around her.  
  
Riko felt a sheer uncompromising strength through the arm around her –  _she couldn't physically fight this kind of strength, this kind of brute force –_ and she struggled to push it off, but he only held her tighter.  
  
"Come on, stop being so difficult," he said playfully, and let out a bark of laughter. The sound sounded harsh, and cruel, to Riko's ears.  
  
"Get  _off_ me, or I'll scream," Riko snarled, confidently and with strength, although she couldn't hear anything because the alarm bells in her head were deafening her. Panic was starting to envelope her, making her struggle harder even though that only invited more brutish laughter from him, and an even tighter grasp around her thin shoulders.  
  
"Oh, you'll  _scream_ _,_ " he said mockingly, tightening his grip around her even more –  _she couldn't get him off, she was struggling with all her strength –_  and he leaned close into her, his cruel smirk coming so near to her face, to her wide eyes. "And just who will help you here?"  
  
 _Chihiro,_ Riko thought desperately, as she continued trying to shove him off, placing both hands on his chest and pushing with all her might. But he wouldn't budge, not even an inch.  _Hyuuga-kun. Teppei. Even though they're all the way in Tokyo._

She was thrashing about. She was clawing, kicking, scratching, punching; she was  _fighting_ -

_Someone. Anyone!_


	16. Moonlit Discourse

Mayuzumi sat on the couch trying to read his book, feeling the gazes of the three Uncrowned Kings behind him consciously upon him. He hid a sigh, and shut his book. Then, he turned around slowly to face them.  
  
Nebuya looked as awkward as Mayuzumi felt, except that Mayuzumi had kept his well-hidden. Mibuchi looked as self-assured as he usually did, but when Mayuzumi looked carefully into his eyes, he could sense a hint of discomfort.  
  
Hayama had his usual deep scowl, and he was currently glaring at him.  
  
Mayuzumi struggled to keep a frown off his face. Truth be told, Mayuzumi didn't know how to deal with the Uncrowned Kings. It was uncomfortable being around them because he always felt the hot pangs of jealousy and anger. At their effortless skill with basketball, a sport that made him happy, a sport that had brought him Riko.  
  
 _Riko,_ Mayuzumi thought, fighting off another sigh. How could she be so naive, thinking that it would be okay for all of them to travel to Tokyo together. It was going to be the most awkward trip.  
  
But it was because she was like this that he kept reading that light novel over and over again.  
  
He looked at them again, in the silence. He just knew it would be near impossible to interact with them beyond basketball matches. He felt frustrated, thinking of their ability to effortlessly improve in basketball when  _he_ had to try so hard. Not when he felt so...inadequate compared to them.  
  
No.  
  
He felt himself frown, as he continued looking at them. He was not inadequate. He had other skills. They might be better than him overall in basketball, but he could escape opponents. He could shoot under pressure. He was indispensable to the team.  
  
He stood up from the couch and leaned down to throw his book into his gym bag by his legs, then he picked it up. He shouldered it, and looked at them.  
  
"So. I'll see you tomorrow then. When we meet to depart to Tokyo."  
  
He turned to head off towards the gym for their night practice session, catching sight of Hayama's scowl deepening the moment he spoke. Yeah, sure. He'd be able to interact normally with them with  _this_ guy being so unnecessarily aggressive. It made Mayuzumi himself angry, but he had better control over his emotions than that childish, immature dumbass.  
  
"Yeah," he heard Nebuya saying as he turned to walk towards the corridor leading to the gym. "It'll be a fun trip." He could sense a slight nervousness in his tone, and then he heard a muffled "ow". That idiot must have elbowed him.  
  
Mayuzumi felt himself frown again as he strode towards the courts. So Nebuya was civil to him now. Mayuzumi scoffed to himself. Must be because he had been improving so much in basketball. Thanks to Riko. It was always thanks to Riko.  
  
Whatever. He didn't care about those Uncrowned Kings.  
  
He adjusted his bag on his shoulder and continued striding towards the courts, still frowning to himself.  
  
____  
  
  
Riko was struggling in the boy's grasp, trying to squirm out of his arm around her, feeling adrenaline rush through her and her heart beating quickly within her.  
  
She clawed at the exposed skin on his neck, letting out grunts and snarls as she fought him, but he only laughed brutishly, saying, "Yeah, keep struggling." His cruel smirk, so close to her face, filled her entire vision. "That's what I like."  
  
"You- agh,  _bastard-_ "  
  
Riko elbowed him in the stomach, and heard him let out sharp breath. Then she kicked him in the shin, and heard him curse, "Shit!" The sports drink he had been holding in his other hand fell to the ground, the liquid slushing out and mixing with the spilt water from her bottle. She felt him tighten his grasp around her, and she tried to elbow him again, or kick him, or knee him somewhere where it would  _really hurt._  
  
But just as he was about to fully envelope her within his grasp, and she was about to knee him, she heard him sigh (sigh?).  
  
"Shit, you're a fucking handful."  
  
And then she suddenly felt the uncompromising strength around her slacken as he slowly released her, and she turned to look at the boy in shock-  
  
"Shougo."  
  
The moment the boy heard someone else's voice around them, he shoved Riko away from him in panic. She stumbled backwards from the impact, nearly falling, but managed to regain her balance just in time. She placed a hand on one of the vending machines next to her to steady herself and panted heavily, looking at the concrete floor. She could see all the spilt water from her fallen bottle and the boy's sports drink on the ground, making a greyish slush in the dim moonlight.  
  
Then, she took a deep breath, and turned towards the voice to see Akashi walking calmly and serenely towards them.  
  
He stopped to stand in front of Riko, in between her and the boy, so only his back was visible to her.  
  
"I knew your attitude must have deteriorated since Teikou, but I didn't expect you to stoop so low as to force a girl."  
  
Even if she couldn't see his face, she could still hear every word he said. Each word was spoken so softly, as if to a lover. His words slipped from his tongue into the night's air like gentle caresses. But there was a chilling quality to them, as though the caress of each spoken word could suddenly tighten mercilessly during any second.  
  
At his words, the boy called Shougo looked defensive and he blurted out, "Fuck you, Akashi! I wasn't going to do anything, I wasn't trying to force her! I just liked to see her reaction-"  
  
He suddenly stopped when he realised what he was saying. His face contorted into a deep scowl, and his eyes showed immense hatred as he looked at Akashi. Riko had never seen such loathing and hostility in anyone before.  
  
At his accidental words, Riko blinked. See her  _reaction_? What was  _wrong_ with this guy? That was such a sick and twisted way to vent his frustration. The fear she had felt had been so real to her, so terrifying to her. Although the panic was now subsiding rapidly, at the sight of Akashi's back in front of her.  
  
The boy spat on the ground in front of Akashi, and flicked an obscene gesture at him. "The fuck. I don't have to explain myself to you." He continued glaring at Akashi, and sneered, "What the fuck are  _you_  doing here anyway."  
  
The way he said 'you' was full of contempt, just as much as was revealed in his eyes.  
  
"I am here on a basketball training camp. Imagine my perplexity when I couldn't find one of our assistant coaches anywhere." Akashi gestured at Riko behind him; he was so casual, as though talking about the weather. The boy's eyes widened slightly in realisation at who Riko was. "As I was searching for her, I ran into your coach and your captain. Hideki Ishida."  
  
The boy blinked, and scowled even more deeply at Akashi's words, but Riko then saw him draw back imperceptibly. She wondered what expression Akashi was having, to cause him that reaction.  
  
"They're looking for you. They should be here in a few minutes."  
  
Riko saw the boy clench his hands into fists, and then he sneered and flicked an obscene gesture towards Akashi again. "I don't fucking care. And I don't believe you." He scowled even more harshly, and Riko could see the hatred within his eyes intensify. Such pure loathing. It made Riko want to wince, and shrink back. "You and your fucking pretty words. You  _say_  things. Things that sound so fucking perfect. And then you turn around and change them."  
  
He spat on the ground in front of Akashi again.  
  
"That loss in the practice match," Riko heard Akashi say, softly, gently. The boy's fists twitched at his words. "It must have frustrated you so. But Shougo." Riko heard Akashi sigh; the sound was as captivating as his voice. "Violence towards women just for your own contentment?"  
  
"How despicable." Riko heard Akashi's tone change all of a sudden:  _soft and tender caresses, then a sudden suffocating feeling; the gentle touch had changed into cruel, relentless cold chains that strangled and strained tight–_  
  
" _Fuck you._ " The boy's hands were shaking, the hatred in his eyes was so pronounced, Riko could feel it physically pressing against her even though Akashi was still in front of her. " _You're_ the one who loves power over others the most. You have no  _fucking_ right to lecture me on the satisfaction of overpowering someone."  
  
There was a long moment of silence. Riko wanted to crane her neck to look at Akashi's face, but the tense silence that stretched out between the boy and Akashi was so heavy, she felt like she couldn't move, like it glued her to the ground.  
  
Then, she heard Akashi give another captivating sigh, and he said, "Ryouta's school is not far from here. Perhaps a practice match with him would correct your need to dominate over others. After all,"– _the chains were icy cold, they were so constricting and so tight–_ "the absolute certain outcome of the match...is a loss on your side."  
  
At the mention of 'Ryouta', the boy's eyes flashed in his anger and hatred. Riko saw his hands shaking in their fist form, and then he raised them.  
  
"Fuck you, Akashi!" He yelled, and lunged towards him.  
  
Riko didn't know what came over her; it was pure reflex at seeing one of her players being attacked by someone. She couldn't let any of  _her_  players get hurt, they had to play basketball, and they were more important than she was. Before the boy reached Akashi, she ran in front of him, stretching out her hands to stop the boy's momentum.  
  
And then suddenly Riko was slamming against one of the vending machines by her side. She felt the impact of the punch on her left shoulder first, and before she realised it, she was on the ground on her knees. She felt winded from the impact at first, and then suddenly, she felt a sharp pain shoot through her, coming from her left shoulder. She winced, and placed a hand over it.  
  
"Shit!" She heard the boy exclaim, and she looked upwards to see his shoes move towards her. But he only took one step, because all of a sudden Akashi was kneeling by her side, and he stopped short.  
  
"Riko," she heard Akashi say. "Let me see your shoul-"  
  
"You'd get away from him if you know what's good for you!" Riko looked up to see the boy's face; his eyes were wide in shock at what he had done, but they were still filled with that poisonous hatred, as he looked at her and Akashi. "He'll use you when he finds you useful, and then he'll throw you away like a piece of rubbish, like you're shit!" He faltered in his steps, like he wasn't sure if he wanted to move towards Riko or run away.  
  
" _Fuck,_ " Riko saw him swear, and then he turned and ran away, in panicked steps. His shoes made irregular clattering sounds on the concrete pavements as he left.  
  
Riko looked up to see his retreating back, but Akashi distracted her as he said, "Riko." She turned to look at him.  
  
"May I?" His fingers were poised over her left shoulder, and he gestured towards her shirt collar.  
  
Riko moved her hand from where it had been clutching her shoulder, and towards her collar instead. "Sure..." She pulled it down, so that her left shoulder was exposed.  
  
She watched him as he inspected her shoulder carefully without touching it. His face was illuminated only by the dim glow from the vending machines, making him look even more arresting than he usually did. He had such perfect features.  
  
After a while, he pulled his head back from where it had hovered over his shoulder, and looked at her. He nodded once, and said, "There will be a bruise from the impact of Shougo's punch, unfortunately. It might swell, so we should head back to the kitchens to get some ice." He turned his head to look at the direction where the boy had ran off to. "I will report this incident to the relevant authorities." Riko saw his eyes narrow. "Shougo will be punished for this."  
  
Riko felt the sensation of tightening chains from his voice again, but shook her head impatiently at his words. "Don't worry about it, he punched me accidentally. We're leaving tomorrow anyway. There's something more important I have to ask you."  
  
She took a breath, and was about to ask the question, when Akashi turned to look at her with an incredulous look in his eyes, although the rest of his features remained impassive.  
  
"Don't worry about it'?" He repeated. "I was talking about the incident prior to this action of violence. Shougo attempted to force you...into doing an act you did not consent to."  
  
Riko blinked, and then said, "Yeah..." She remembered the pure terror she had felt in that moment, and she couldn't suppress a shudder. The memory of the fearful feeling spread from her heart to her whole body, going up to her throat, making her feel like puking. Then she swallowed and took a deep breath. "I'm not sure though. He was about to let me go when you came. And you heard him. He just wanted to see my reaction." She couldn't control it; she let out a shuddering breath. "Although that in itself is so warped."  
  
"You can't be certain about that." Akashi sounded slightly impatient. "Shougo is a delinquent. That is an undeniable fact. He would have done it if I hadn't arrived opportunely."  
  
"Fine. You're right. I don't know that." She took another deep breath, trying to control and suppress the memory of the fear. She shook her head, trying to steel herself. She was Riko, she was strong, she could handle it. "Do what you feel is right. Report him for violence towards me." She turned to look at him with a frown. "But for now, I have to ask you something."  
  
He gave a satisfied nod, and said, "Alright, but we should converse as we walk to the kitchen. I would like you to ice your shoulder before it swells."  
  
"Okay, fine," Riko said impatiently, and he took her hand to help her off the ground. They started walking towards the entrance of the gym, and then she took a deep breath. She looked at him from the corner of her eye.  
  
"What did he mean by 'throw away like a piece of rubbish'? Obviously it was from back when you both were at Teikou."  
  
Riko was watching Akashi carefully, but he remained expressionless.  
  
"That is inconsequential. I had merely ejected him from the regulars due to his reprobate behaviour," said Akashi, waving a dismissive hand.  
  
"That can't be it, though," Riko pressed him. "He got so angry when you mentioned 'Ryouta'. Kise Ryouta? From Kaijou, the school that was featured in _Gekkan Basketball_ magazine recently. One of the Miracles. One of you." She turned to look at him fully. "Was that boy one of you too?"  
  
At her question, she actually heard Akashi scoff. She saw his lips quirk upwards in a condescending smile. "Shougo was never one of us. He lacks the talent." He waved another hand. "He was angry because I replaced him with Ryouta on the regulars line-up. It was the logical decision in that moment. Ryouta would have surpassed him."  
  
He took a breath, and said, calmly, "He quit the club after that."  
  
At his words, Riko stopped in her tracks. Akashi frowned at her action, and turned to look at her. The boy's words were ringing in her mind...' _he'll throw you away like a piece of rubbish, like you're shit!'._ Riko lifted a hand to knead her eyebrows.  
  
"You kicked him out of the line-up just like that? Because another player had more potential? Something that would only happen in the future, and thus was never certain?"  
  
Akashi continued frowning at her, and then he said in an even tone, "What are you implying."  
  
Riko took a deep breath, trying to control her anger at him. He had just helped her after all. "I'm saying that you treated a boy, who might have loved basketball, like an object. You compared him to another player more talented than he was, and discarded him like he didn't matter anymore because of that. It's basketball. A game." She took another breath. "Anyone should be able to play it in matches, and not be told to leave just because of a faint future possibility that someone else might be better than you."  
  
She looked down, with a furrow in her eyebrows. "No wonder he left the club. It must have been difficult to hear."  
  
"Are you feeling pity for Shougo?" There was a slight incredulous tone in Akashi's voice. "Regardless of the fact that I ejected him, Shougo still ended up being like this. It indicates that he already would have deteriorated down to this level, and that would have affected the reputation of the team."  
  
"I'm not trying to excuse his behaviour," Riko said. "He's still...an asshole. I'm just trying not to excuse yours."  
  
Akashi blinked, and frowned at her. "I beg your pardon?"  
  
"You still treated him as a tool, as an object that can be discarded at will. Even disregarding his attitude, what you did was still wrong." As Riko said this, she thought of Tadashi, back in her first practice session, and felt a pang.  
  
"What I did was logical, and the decision was made to ensure we had the strongest team possible." Akashi narrowed his eyes at her; he sounded slightly impatient and displeased. He turned back to walk towards the gym, expecting her to follow.  
  
Riko frowned, and took a step to follow him, but he turned to look at her. "Not everyone is skilled enough to play in matches, and decisions like these have to be made for the greater benefit of the school. We are competing in national-level competitions, not friendly matches." He narrowed his eyes even more. "You should correct your ridiculously naive behaviour in thinking that everyone can play basketball."  
  
Then he turned around to walk towards the wooden double doors. Riko gritted her teeth, and followed him in.  
  
____  
  
  
As they walked in the empty corridors of the gym towards the kitchens – everyone was still at practice – Akashi looked at Riko next to him from the corner of his eye.  
  
Her behaviour was confusing, and her words laughable. How could she be so naive and idealistic. But her earlier behaviour was the most befuddling of all.  
  
It wasn't logical, it wasn't rational.  
  
She had leapt in front of him to protect him without hesitation, and a few seconds later, turned around to attack him for  _his_ behaviour. And she had tried to understand Shougo's words, Shougo, who had attacked her so despicably. How did her mind function.  
  
As captain, Akashi could understand the sentiment behind trying to keep his players uninjured. But he wouldn't have done such a thing for his players personally. Not only was it foolhardy and caused unnecessary injury to himself, it would have affected the entire team's morale if the captain himself had gotten hurt pointlessly. It would have made more sense to let just an ordinary player be hurt, instead of the captain, who had more responsibility to the entire team than just to one player. Even if it would be an inconvenience if one of his players had gotten hurt. It was just logical, because the benefit of the captain remaining uninjured for the team outweighed an ordinary player being uninjured.  
  
He had stood in front of Riko facing Shougo because there had been a need to do so. Violence towards women was unacceptable, regardless of logic or rationale. That was a principle etched into his mind and heart by his father.  
  
But there hadn't been any need for Riko to protect him. If anything, he would have withstood the punch much better than her petite frame. He wouldn't even have gotten a bruise from it, considering his athletic physique.  
  
At her confusing behaviour, Akashi was reminded of another puzzling thing that had been nagging his mind. He turned to Riko next to him, absently thinking that it might be good to distract her from ruminating on the attack, with something else she cared about, and said, "About Chihiro."  
  
Riko faltered slightly, and turned to look at him. Akashi continued, "How have you been training him lately? He has been improving tremendously."  _Much more than before. Before when I threatened him with your demotion._  
  
She frowned, and looked away from him in thought as they continued walking towards the kitchens. "I've just been doing the same thing I've been doing for the past few weeks. Making sure he develops in a balanced manner between passing and shooting. But I've also been able to recommend exercises to correct specific deficiencies." She shrugged.  
  
Akashi nodded at her explanation.  _Pi_ _npointing deficiencies. That is her talent._ He frowned. But it couldn't be just that because she had already been doing it before.  
  
"Anything else?"  
  
Riko blinked at his question, and then looked away again. "I suppose, I've been positively encouraging him all this while. It's hard being on the regulars squad with a Miracle and Uncrowned Kings, and to see that your improvement just isn't as rapid as it could be." She frowned as she thought some more, then shrugged again. "That's it, really."  
  
 _Again, not a differentiating factor from before,_ Akashi thought, still frowning.  _The difference must lie with Chihiro._  
  
They arrived at the kitchens, and Akashi strode straight to one of the refrigerators, and pulled out an ice pack from a freezer. He handed it to her, and instructed her briskly, "Put that on your shoulder to reduce the swelling. Make sure you do it especially if you see inflammation."  
  
"I know," Riko said with a slight growl. She glared at him. "I'm an assistant coach, so I know how to deal with inflammation."  
  
Akashi narrowed his eyes at her defiance again, and wondered why he didn't do anything about it. He turned away from her and walked towards the exit of the kitchen, saying, "I have to do the necessary reporting procedures for this incident."  
  
"Wait, Akashi-kun."  
  
He paused from walking and turned to look inquiringly back at her.  
  
He saw her take a deep breath, and said, "Chihiro and I...and the other regulars are taking a few hours off to go to Tokyo tomorrow before we head back to Kyoto. So that I can see my Seirin friends, and watch them in the Interhigh preliminaries." He saw her take another breath. "Do you...want to come along?"  
  
At her question, Akashi blinked, but remained still where he stood.  
  
Seirin. Riko's previous school. Tetsuya. The past.  
  
All of it was useless, pointless, inconsequential. But the answer behind Chihiro's immense progress and how Riko related to it could lie there.  
  
Akashi gave Riko a slow nod, and said, "That would be nice."  
  
He saw Riko let out a breath in a whoosh, and then she began, "About Shirogane-sensei-"  
  
"Don't worry about Shirogane. I will explain everything to him."  
  
He saw her give him a small, uncertain smile, and then he turned to continue walking towards the exit.  
  
But before he left the kitchen, he paused at the doorway, touching the wooden frame. He turned his head slightly, so that only his side profile could be seen from her vantage point.  
  
"About earlier. When you jumped in front of me."  
  
He could see Riko turn to look at him with a frown; she had previously been looking at her shoulder as she adjusted the ice pack to lie comfortably on it.  
  
"It had been an extremely unnecessary gesture but..." Akashi took a quiet breath. "I appreciate it." He turned to face her fully, and gave her a single nod.  
  
Then he turned around and walked towards the basketball courts without another backward glance.  
  
____  
  
  
Later that night, Riko was tossing and turning on her bed, trying not to jostle her shoulder. It was an extremely hot and humid night, characteristic of the weather changes that came with the onset of summer. She could feel a sheen of sweat on her, and felt it sticking uncomfortably to her sheets. Despite the softness of the bed, she felt as though the sweat was preventing her from settling into the bed, and sleep eluded her.  
  
She was thinking about her sudden, impulsive decision to ask Akashi to come along to Tokyo (and trying not to think about the earlier terrifying experience). Maybe she had still been delirious from the adrenaline and extreme fear. She didn't know what made her feel compelled to include him with her Rakuzan fellowship to Tokyo. Maybe it had been out of gratitude. Maybe it had been the sight of his lonely back as he left the kitchen.  
  
She groaned, and rolled to her side, then immediately winced. Her shoulder ached, dammit.  
  
Grumbling to herself, Riko sat up, and pulled down the collar of her T-shirt to look at it. It was now dark blue and purplish, the colour that came with the healing process of a bruise. But it wasn't swollen, so at least the icing had worked.  
  
Riko sighed, and got out of the bed. She should probably ice it more, to help with the recovery.  
  
She walked down the corridors towards the kitchens; everything was so quiet and peaceful in the night. The corridors were only lit by a few lights, casting a warm yellow glow upon the carpet Riko was walking on. She felt herself smile unconsciously, she would miss this gym; it was so luxurious. But she felt her smile broaden as she thought of who she would be meeting the next day; it trumped everything else.  
  
She entered the kitchen still with a broad smile as she thought of Seirin. It was dark, only illuminated by the dim moonlight streaming in from the large glass windows. She looked up to the refrigerators.  
  
And felt her smile suddenly freeze on her face.  
  
Hayama was sitting on a stool in front of one of the fridges with its doors open, leaning back to lie his elbows on the kitchen counter behind him.  
  
He turned to look at her when she made a sound as she sighed and reached up to knead her eyebrows at the sight of him. The moment he saw her, a large grin spread across his face, devilish and mischievous as usual.  
  
"Riko! Hey!"  
  
Riko sighed again at the sound of his annoying voice, and walked up to stand next to him. "What are you doing here, Hayama-kun?"  
  
"Oh, you know," he said, gesturing at the open fridge. "It's just  _so hot_ tonight, so I wanted to feel the cold air from the fridge." He made a face. "I was so sweaty on my bed, and I couldn't friggin' sleep," he whined.  
  
He quirked a smile again as he looked at her. "What about you?"  
  
"Came here to get some ice," she said shortly, and moved to grab an ice pack from the fridge. She stood there with it in her hands, then said to him, "So I'll just see you tomorrow morning, Hayama-kun. When we go to Tokyo."  
  
She turned around to move towards the exit of the kitchen. But she only took two steps before she suddenly felt herself being grabbed by her arms and physically turned around.  
  
Hayama was holding a few ice cubes in his hands, and cracking an impish grin. He laughed, the roguish, playful sound resounding in the silent, dark kitchen.  
  
"Here, Riko, I'll help you cool down too!" he shouted excitedly, and grabbed her shoulder to push the ice cubes onto her neck.  
  
The moment he grabbed her left shoulder, Riko gasped in pain and flinched reflexively. She saw the ice cubes in his hands fall to the ground, shattering upon contact, and turned to look at his face, still wincing.  
  
His expression had immediately changed from mischievous to shocked worry, and he had let her go.  
  
"Shit, Riko! What's wrong?"  
  
She felt his worried gaze intensely on her, and looked away with a sigh. "Nothing, Hayama-kun. Now if you will excuse me." And she tried to turn to move out of the kitchen again, but before she could take a step, he grabbed her around the waist.  
  
"No, your shoulder's hurt, isn't it? Let me see!"  
  
And he immediately tried to pull down the collar of her shirt to look at her shoulder.  
  
The night's events had taken a toll on Riko. She had felt tired from the table tennis game, then happy as she thought about seeing her Seirin friends the next day with Chihiro coming along, and then sheer terror when the boy Shougo had attacked her. And then she had felt confused and angry as she found out about Akashi's behaviour, which was the same now as it had been in middle school. But she still had invited him along to Tokyo, a decision that still confused her.  
  
And now, Hayama was being so invasive of her personal space, and doing the very thing she had been so terrified of having done to her earlier that night when the boy had attacked her.  
  
"Hayama-kun, stop!"  
  
The moment she said the words, panic so obvious and evident in her tone, he froze from pulling down her collar to expose her shoulder. She was breathing heavily as she looked at him with panicked wide eyes.  
  
He slowly slackened his grip on her collar, then let go of her as if burned when he realised what he had been doing.  
  
He looked at her with a frown, opening his mouth, then closing it. Then, she saw determination fill his eyes.  
  
He opened his mouth to say, "I'm just..." He trailed off, and looked away. Then, he turned to look back at her, the fierce determination still in his eyes. She saw his hands clenched into fists by his side. "What happened to your shoulder," he demanded.  
  
Riko was still breathing heavily, and she closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, then opened them, feeling her breath even out.  
  
"That's none of your business," she said to him.  
  
She saw him frown more deeply, and open his mouth to protest when he suddenly blinked, and his frown disappeared. He was looking at her neck.  
  
"What's that."  
  
Riko looked down, following his gaze on her neck. It was the makeshift ice lolly stick necklace. The string had slipped out of her shirt during the scuffle with Hayama.  
  
"That's just something Chihiro gave me," she said, and turned to look up at his face.  
  
At the mention of Mayuzumi's name, she saw him grit his teeth, and he bit out, "What is that  _thing._ "  
  
She frowned at his unexplainable anger, and said in a frustrated tone, "It's an ice lolly stick. Nothing to be concerned about, Hayama-kun."  
  
The moment she said that, his frown disappeared and he blinked. Then, he made a face, that  _annoying,_ childish face he usually made whenever he complained about something. "He gave you something like  _that_?" He scoffed, and ran a hand through his orange hair frustratedly. "That's so meaningless."  
  
"Of course it would be, to  _you,_ " Riko said irritatedly.  _What is his problem with Chihiro?_  He was so antagonistic. Such a child. Mayuzumi was her friend, it would be more mature of Hayama to act more civilly towards him.  
  
She sighed, and leaned down to pick up the ice pack she had dropped during the small scuffle with Hayama, then straightened up.  
  
"Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow morning, Hayama-kun."  
  
She only saw him give her a stiff nod as she turned around to walk towards the exit of the kitchen. She was smiling as she thought about Seirin again; really, the thought of her Seirin boys could change her mood so easily, like a beam of sunlight shining through dark clouds.  
  
She didn't notice Hayama clenching his fists as he watched her leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fyi: Hakone is located in Kanagawa prefecture.
> 
> I absolutely loathe one-dimensional characters. Hence I tried to portray Haizaki this way instead.


	17. The Brink of Instability

The morning was as hot and humid as the night before, although thankfully there was a reprieve from the glaring sunlight; it was partially covered by clouds.  
  
The entire Rakuzan basketball team had woken up early that morning in preparation for the trip back to Kyoto. They were now loading their bags onto the buses, chattering to one another as they walked out of the gym and up to the buses while shouldering their rucksacks.  
  
Riko emerged from her room by kicking her duffel bag out of the door. Her shoulder hadn't healed enough for her to be slinging it over her body. She had only packed a small backpack for the trip to Tokyo; her luggage would be sent back to Kyoto with everyone else. She had carefully taken out Kiyoshi's birthday present from the duffel bag and placed it within her backpack, smiling happily all the while as she thought about how he would react to it. That was all she needed to go to Tokyo; everything else was already there.  
  
She stood outside her door staring at her bag, wondering how she would lug it to the buses. Just as she leaned down to pick it up anyway, she was interrupted by a call.  
  
"Hey, Riko!"  
  
She looked up to see that it was Hayama who had called her, his own duffel bag slung over his shoulder. Mibuchi and Nebuya were walking behind him with cheerful grins on their faces, Mibuchi waving at her as she spotted them.  
  
"We're just about to take our bags to the buses," said Mibuchi with a smile.  
  
"Yeah, me too," Riko said. She leaned down to pick up her bag, but just before she could make contact with the handle, Hayama rushed forward to grab it instead. She blinked, and turned to look at his face, but he was only looking at her with an unreadable expression, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.  
  
"I'll take it for you."  
  
"Thanks," Riko said, and she couldn't hide her incredulous tone.  
  
He picked up her bag and slung it effortlessly over his shoulder with his own, then turned around to head off to the buses. But he stopped short when he saw Mibuchi and Nebuya staring at him with gaping mouths.  
  
"What?" said Hayama, his eyebrows still furrowed.  
  
"Kotarou-chan..." Mibuchi said with feeling, putting his hand over his chest.  
  
Nebuya grinned widely, and chuckled, "Never knew a brat like you could be such a charming gentleman."  
  
"Shut up, Ei-chan!" Hayama growled. Then, he cracked an equally wide, cheeky grin. "I'm  _always_ charming," he drawled, in a pathetic attempt to be suave.  
  
They continued exchanging barbs as they headed down the corridor towards the exit of the gym, Mibuchi following behind them, still looking touched at Hayama's gesture. Riko stared after their backs in slight confusion, and shook her head. She picked up her little backpack and was about to follow them when she was interrupted for the second time.  
  
"Riko."  
  
She turned around to see that it was Akashi. He was carrying a small plastic bag in one hand as he strode up to her.  
  
"How is your shoulder," he said, his tone flat and even.  
  
Riko smiled at him. "It's better," she said, touching her left shoulder. "Thanks for asking."  
  
Akashi gave a satisfied nod, and handed her the plastic bag in his hand. She looked into it, and saw that the contents were a few packs of pain-relief patches. She turned to look at him with raised eyebrows and wide eyes.  
  
"You should put those on to help with the pain during the healing process," he said, then gestured for her to walk with him down the corridor.  
  
Riko cleared her throat, and said, "Thanks, Akashi-kun. These are...really useful." She moved towards him, and as they walked together, she tucked the plastic bag into her little backpack.  
  
"You will be happy to know that I have reported last night's incident to all the relevant authorities," he said. Riko looked at him from the corner of her eye next to her; he looked impassive as usual. "Shougo will most definitely be punished," he continued.  
  
As he said those words, Riko felt the chilling sensation again. She was still looking at him, but he remained impassive. It was mysterious how he could emanate such absolute authority without even twitching a single facial muscle.  
  
Riko cleared her throat again, and said, "Thank you for that." Internally, she felt a sense of relief; it shrouded her like soft clouds, easing all her remaining tension. Last night had been truly terrifying to her, and she felt grateful that something was being done as retribution. She wouldn't have wanted that to happen to anyone else.  
  
They arrived in the parking lot with the buses in front of the gym, then Akashi nodded at her. "I have to speak with Shirogane for a moment," he said, before leaving her to walk towards him, who was conversing with the drivers of the buses.  
  
She watched Akashi leave, then walked up to Mayuzumi who was leaning down to throw his bags into the bus. He quirked his small smile at her when he saw her approach him. She crinkled her eyes excitedly in greeting.  
  
As he straightened up from his leaning position, he said, "So how are you feeling? Excited for later?"  
  
" _Extremely,_ " Riko replied, her smile widening. "What about you?"  
  
"Hm." He turned away in contemplation. "I'm alright." Then he frowned a little. "It's just really hot today, that's all."  
  
"Yeah," Riko said, making a face. Cracking a grin, she nudged him with an elbow and said, "You'd better get me an ice lolly later."  
  
He didn't move even though she kept nudging him, and then he looked at her with a smirk. "I'll get you as many as you desire, Riko-sama."  
  
Riko widened her grin, and said, "Some light novels too then. And the latest  _Gekkan Basketball_ magazine." She nudged him again, playfully.  
  
He continued looking at her with a smirk, then it changed into a gentle smile, and his eyes crinkled slightly. "Anything you want, Riko."  
  
Riko laughed, and stopped nudging him. "Don't worry about it," she said, punching his arm amiably. "I was just joking."  
  
He didn't say anything in response, and then he shrugged. "I wasn't, though," she heard him say quietly. "It's the least I can do." She slowly turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow.  
  
But before she could ask him what he was going on about, they were interrupted by Hayama yelling at them from where he was standing with Mibuchi and Nebuya a little ahead on the road, in front of the three buses. Akashi was standing a little apart from them, looking at his mobile phone.  
  
"Hey, are we going to get a move on or not? It takes 15 minutes to walk to the train station, you know." He sounded impatient as he looked at Riko and Mayuzumi.  
  
Riko nodded, and called back to him, "Yeah." She hurried to join them, and after a brief pause, Mayuzumi followed her too, his hands shoved into his pockets.  
  
____  
  
  
They arrived in the Tokyo train station a little over an hour later without ado, the sounds of commuters and travellers rushing around filling the air, intermingling with the electronic announcements of train times and platforms. Riko soaked up all the atmosphere with a smile; she was in Tokyo again, she was literally in the same city as her Seirin friends.  
  
Riko led all of them to the exit of the station, then turned around to face them.  
  
"Before we head to the courts, I'd like to drop by the hospital first," she said to them. "I want to visit a friend before going to the matches." She felt her lips curve upwards as she thought about Kiyoshi, and what his expression would be when she turned up.  
  
Mibuchi and Mayuzumi nodded, while Nebuya shrugged. Hayama nodded as well, scratching his neck in annoyance at his sweat from the hot summer's day, and began to say, "So who's this friend, anywa-"  
  
"I have an appointment, so I would have to leave for the courts immediately."  
  
Everyone turned to look at Akashi in surprise. He looked them with his usual steady expression, although his eyebrows were slightly furrowed so there was no room for dissent.  
  
Riko blinked, then said, "Okay..." She frowned inwardly, wondering when he had the chance to schedule that appointment. She had just invited him to Tokyo the night before.  
  
Akashi gave them a nod, then turned around and walked towards the bus stops beyond the compound of the train station without another word.  
  
Riko watched him leave, wondering why she felt a pang as she looked at his lonely back. She still found him incomprehensible, and his views still made her want to scream and rip her hair out in frustration. But even in a team outing such as this, he went off to do his own mysterious matters, and it made Riko feel compelled to follow him, or force him to stay with them.  
  
She shook her head to clear her mind of her conflicted feelings towards Akashi, then turned to the rest of her Rakuzan fellowship.  
  
"Shall we head off to the hospital then?"  
  
  
____  
  
  
It took Akashi about half an hour to arrive at the courts where the Interhigh was held. He walked towards the entrance of the large stadium structure from the bus stop, feeling the heat from the sun's rays weigh on him in the open compound. His eyes narrowed when he felt a bead of sweat trickle from his forehead and down his cheek, stopping at his jawline. He fought the urge to wipe it off, and let out a quiet breath instead.  
  
He detested summer's heat.  
  
He finally entered the stadium, and turned towards the direction of the viewing area. As he walked down the corridors in the stadium towards the balconies where his appointment would be, he ignored the inane chattering of the excited students around him.  
  
"Shuutoku High is also going to be competing today..."  
  
"Touou Academy is supposed to be the dark horse of the competition! They used to be so unknown..."  
  
"The other Kings of Tokyo shouldn't be underestimated as well! I'm sure they'll all qualify..."  
  
Akashi felt his eyes narrow even further when he overheard snatches of their conversations. All these discussions were inconsequential. There would only be one outcome to the competition, and it was absolutely certain.  
  
"But what about Rakuzan High? It's been winning the Interhigh for the past few years!" A girl said to her friend, as she walked by him.  
  
Akashi felt his lips curve upwards.  _And we will win this year as well._  
  
He reached the entrance to the balconies, and hid a sigh when he thought about going out into the sweltering heat again. No matter. This appointment was more important than weather concerns.  
  
He stretched out a hand to push the door open, and stepped through the entrance in one swift motion. When he glanced up to look at the edges of the balcony, he blinked.  
  
His guest had already arrived, and he was leaning on the railings, looking out at the roads surrounding the stadium. The sounds of cars honking and the screeching squeaks of tires on roads could be heard clearly in the open balcony.  
  
But Akashi ignored them, and strode up to the boy, stopping directly behind him.  
  
"Tetsuya."  
  
Kuroko remained standing with his back to Akashi for a moment. Then, he slowly turned around to face him.  
  
His expression was blank as usual, but that didn't mean anything because Akashi could see emotion slightly revealed in his eyes.  
  
"Good morning, Akashi-kun."  
  
____  
  
  
"Who're we  _visiting_ , Riko?" Hayama whined, poking her as they walked through the corridors of the hospital. Several of the nurses walking by them immediately shushed Hayama, but he only frowned at them, and pouted childishly.  
  
Riko tried to ignore Hayama's annoying whine, and keep Kiyoshi in her mind to remain happy. They had managed to get on the right bus and arrive at the hospital without ado, and thankfully without too many Hayama complaints other than the usual about the weather being so hot that day.  
  
But now, he was nettling her so much about her mysterious friend in the hospital. She wondered if she could shove an ice lolly into his mouth to shut him up.  
  
She lifted a hand to knead her eyebrows, and said with gritted teeth, "You'll find out in a moment, Hayama-kun." She threw a glance behind her to see how the others were doing.  
  
Mibuchi looked self-assured; he smiled at her when she looked back at them. Nebuya, however, was looking anywhere but at Mayuzumi, and clenching the edge of his shirt periodically. Mayuzumi looked expressionless as usual, but if Riko had looked carefully, she would have seen a furrow in his eyebrows.  
  
They arrived in front of Kiyoshi's hospital room, and then Riko felt herself beam uncontrollably. Hayama had stopped poking her, and he pointed at the door inquiringly instead.  
  
"Is this your friend's room?"  
  
"Yeah," Riko said; she couldn't control herself, her voice was full of excitement, and then she threw the door open, feeling a laugh bubble out of her.  
  
Kiyoshi was reading a manga as he sat on his hospital bed, and he turned to look up at her when she opened the door.  
  
The moment he saw her, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. The manga slipped from his hands onto the floor.  
  
" _Riko_?"  
  
She laughed again, and ran towards him. He stretched out his arms, and she flung her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. She breathed in his scent; it was as comforting as she remembered. It reminded her of teddy bears; of that pleasant feeling of snuggling under a  _kotatsu_ futon on a cold winter's day.  
  
It made her entire being feel shrouded in a warm glow of pure happiness and bliss, as she felt his arms,  _Teppei's_ arms, around her.  
  
And in that moment, she didn't even care that it was sweltering in that hospital room, and that the hug was probably making her sweat even more. Because it was  _his_ warmth that was surrounding her.  
  
It was a long time before they separated, and Riko closed her eyes when she drew back from him; she didn't want to show anyone that some tears had probably slipped out when she felt the overwhelming feelings of joy as she saw him. Instead, she stood back from his bed, and beamed at him.  
  
She nearly felt like crying again when he smiled his kind, gentle smile back at her.  
  
She turned away from him to try to control her emotions, but immediately turned back in slight panic. She didn't want to lose sight of him.  
  
After they looked at each other for a while, Kiyoshi turned away from her instead (she was internally grateful; she still didn't want to stop looking at him) to look behind her.  
  
"Riko, you brought friends along!"  
  
Riko laughed, lifting a hand to her mouth to discreetly wipe her eyes. "Yeah." She started gesturing to introduce them to Kiyoshi.  
  
"That's Chihiro, he's a year older than us," she said, lifting a hand in Mayuzumi's direction. "And that's Mibuchi-kun-"  
  
"No need to introduce us," Mibuchi interrupted Riko just as she gestured towards him. She looked at him with raised eyebrows. He took a breath, and continued, "We've known each other...since middle school." As he said that, he lifted a hand to emphasise the statement.  
  
Kiyoshi blinked and said, "Eh? We know each other?"  
  
Mibuchi's hand slumped the moment Kiyoshi said that and he looked at him with wide, flabbergasted eyes. Hayama's mouth dropped open, and he began to say, "Yeah! We used to compete against each other all the time-"  
  
"I competed against you in our first year of middle school," Nebuya interrupted. Everyone turned to look at him. He had a slight frown on his face as he looked at Kiyoshi, and there was an unreadable look in his eyes. Riko looked curiously at him; it looked slightly like...guilt, intermingled with regret.  
  
"Ah...okay," Kiyoshi said. "I do remember that I've played against all of you before, although the memories aren't very clear." He scratched his head, then shrugged, and smiled cheerfully. "So just introduce yourselves again, then, please! Oh, yeah, I'm Kiyoshi Teppe-"  
  
"We know!" Hayama interrupted impatiently. "You're Kiyoshi Teppei, Iron Heart Kiyoshi!" He sighed, and ran a hand through his orange hair. "You're a really awesome Center."  
  
"You can play the power forward position too," Nebuya said shortly.  
  
Mibuchi glanced at Nebuya out of the corner of his eye, and then turned back to Kiyoshi to say, "My school lost to yours once. You're from Shouei Middle School. I won't forget that in a hurry." He smiled. "I'm Mibuchi Reo, and these two are Hayama Kotarou and Nebuya Eikichi." He gestured at both of them as he introduced them.  
  
"It's so nice to meet you!" Kiyoshi said joyfully, crinkling his eyes in warmth. "I'm Kiyoshi," he said, turning to Mayuzumi to address him. Mayuzumi blinked at the sudden attention, and nodded at him, shuffling his feet slightly.  
  
"Anyway, Teppei," Riko said, moving forward to Kiyoshi's bed, and pulling her backpack in front of her. She rummaged through it, and pulled out a beautifully decorated box tied with a ribbon. "Here, I got this for you." She placed it in his hands with a smile. "It's a belated birthday present."  
  
"A birthday present for me?" Kiyoshi said, sounding genuinely happy and touched. He carefully lifted the box to inspect it, and looked at Riko, crinkling his eyes again. "I like it already."  
  
"You'll like it even more when you open it, Teppei," said Riko, smiling at his joy. She sat down next to him on his bed and watched him closely as he meticulously unwrapped the ribbon, and carefully lifted the cover of the box. His eyes widened when he saw the contents of it.  
  
Then he looked up at her, and said, " _Riko,"_ with feeling.  
  
She had given him a pack of Hanafuda cards beautifully painted and decorated with Kyoto sceneries.  
  
She felt her smile widen, and she said, "You know Kyoto. It has so much history with Hanafuda."  
  
Kiyoshi lifted the contents from the box, just as Hayama tried discreetly to crane his neck to see what she had given him. He inspected the cards carefully, pinching them like they were made of glass. Then he turned back to Riko, and smiled his wide gentle smile.  
  
"I love it, Riko. Thank you."  
  
She only smiled at him in response. But she was feeling overwhelming joy and satisfaction spread all over her body at the genuine look of appreciation in his eyes. As he continued looking at the cards, Riko said, "How are you, Teppei?"  _What's your current condition. What did the doctors say._

He crinkled his eyes at her and said, "I'm doing fine, Riko! Don't worry! The recuperation's progressing very well." He widened his smile at her. "I might be able to return to school in just a few weeks, before summer is even over."

Riko quirked her lips into a small, wistful smile, and watched him as he "ooh"-ed and "aah"-ed at the cards she had given him.  _I wish you could have returned to school in the spring. I wish you could have competed in the Interhigh with everyone in Seirin._  
  
He put the cards carefully back into the box, and shut it, then placed it on his bedside table. He turned to look back at all of them, and said, "So what's everyone here for? Is it a Rakuzan trip to Tokyo?"  
  
Mibuchi smiled at him and said, "No, we all decided to accompany Riko-chan on her trip here. Because Kotarou-chan insisted." He elbowed Hayama in the ribs as he said this. Hayama whined in response, saying, "Ow, Reo-nee..." as he rubbed the spot where Mibuchi elbowed him.  
  
Ignoring Hayama, Mibuchi continued, "And we thought it might be good to watch Seirin's matches too." He narrowed his eyes as he continued smiling, and said, "After all, Seirin might be a potential competitor in the Interhigh."  
  
Kiyoshi nodded cheerfully and said, "I'm glad you accompanied Riko! Because it meant that I got to meet all of you!"  
  
"I  _told_ you," Hayama said frustratedly. "We've met  _before._ In so many middle school competitions!"  
  
Kiyoshi only beamed in response, his eyes crinkling merrily.  
  
"Teppei," Riko interjected. "How do you think Seirin's chances are to qualify for the Interhigh? Hyuuga-kun is never specific about anything related to basketball strategies or techniques for the team. He never gives me any details."  
  
 _Probably because he's worried I'll miss coaching Seirin too much_ , thought Riko with a pang. She sighed, and looked at Kiyoshi earnestly. "All I hear about are Koganei-kun's ridiculous antics and Izuki-kun's latest puns. Which are  _fine,_ but..." she trailed off, feeling both frustrated and touched with Hyuuga at the same time.  
  
Kiyoshi looked upwards in thought. "Hm..." He looked back at Riko and said with a wide grin, "I think everything will be fine." He shrugged at her.  
  
"Anything more specific?" Riko pressed him.  
  
Kiyoshi just widened his smile, and patted Riko on the head. "Don't worry about them, Riko. Everyone's fantastic. Mitobe's improving so much that he's now the resident defence expert."  
  
Riko smiled and leaned back on his bed, touching his legs under the covers. "And what about the others?"  
  
"Hm. Koganei's just doing what he's always been doing. His reflexes are amazing though, as expected of a former tennis player. Tsuchida's still excellent at rebounds. Izuki's shooting accuracy is improving, too. And Hyuuga's getting really good at clutch shooting. Thanks to your father's methods."  
  
Riko blinked. "My dad?"  
  
"Yeah." Kiyoshi nodded, still smiling widely. "The team's been getting him to help them out periodically. It isn't as good as having a regular coach in school since your father still has to run your gym, but whenever he helps the team out, the sessions go incredibly well, and everyone always takes his advice to improve on their own."  
  
Riko smiled, and felt relief at how they were still managing without her. But it was intermingled with bitter sadness at how Seirin had to cope with only an irregular coach without her there.  
  
"And the new first years." Kiyoshi continued, interrupting her thoughts. "Furihata, Kawahara and Fukuda are hard workers, according to Hyuuga. They try very hard to improve."  
  
"And Kagami-kun?" Riko asked eagerly. "Hyuuga-kun says he's amazing at basketball."  
  
Kiyoshi chuckled, and said, "I've seen videos of him. Yes, he's very good. Kagami Taiga. He's really like a 'tiger' on the court."  
  
"'Tiger'?" Riko laughed. "That's really his name?"  
  
Kiyoshi nodded, and crinkled his eyes at her.  
  
"And what about the Miracle?" Riko asked, feeling her heart thump faster in anticipation, and she leaned towards Kiyoshi eagerly to listen to him. This was the player she wanted to hear about the most.  
  
Kiyoshi nodded again and said, "He's one of the reasons I think Seirin will do very well. His partnership with Kagami is incredible, I've seen the videos. And he has unbelievable basketball sense, Hyuuga says. Apparently it's thanks to his strategies that Seirin could do so well against Kaijou in one of their practice matches, and that they've been able to progress so far in the preliminaries."  
  
Riko grinned as Kiyoshi gave a satisfied sigh.  
  
"So, don't worry, Riko, Seirin will do just fine during the semi-finals and finals.” Kiyoshi smiled. “Kagami Taiga and Kuroko Tetsuya. Such reliable juniors, like you wouldn’t believe, according to Hyuuga.”  
  
Riko blinked, and leaned back from Kiyoshi.  
  
Kuroko…Tetsuya?  
  
She heard Mayuzumi falter as well at the mention of Kuroko. He turned to Riko, and she could see that his eyes were slightly widened in surprise.  
  
"That Tetsuya guy is in Seirin? The phantom sixth man?"  
  
Realisation hit Riko. She reeled at the feeling, suddenly clinging at Kiyoshi's bed sheets.  
  
 _‘He always lectures me by mentioning that Tetsuya guy.’_  
  
 _‘It was hard to believe he was one of them when we first met him.’_  
  
Of course. Hyuuga had never mentioned his first name, but she still should have realised this. How could she have been so stupid? Riko clung to the bed sheets desperately, trying to stabilise herself in her shock.  
  
Mayuzumi was right, she really was ignorant sometimes. She had been so hung up over Akashi and his methods that she failed to recognise this connection, the tenuous strand of connection that had nagged at her so long ago, but quashed and pushed to the back of her mind amidst all the endless tribulations in Rakuzan.   
  
Mayuzumi had mentioned him, ‘Tetsuya’, so often. Kuroko Tetsuya was the phantom player of the Generation of Miracles. And he was known as a phantom  _because_  he used misdirection. They were the same person, the Miracle in Seirin, and the player who used the techniques Akashi was teaching Mayuzumi.  _He_  was the player Mayuzumi imitated.  
  
She had handed Rakuzan a weapon against Seirin.  
  
She turned to look at the floor, blinking furiously as she tried to contain herself. She felt like she had been thrown out of balance, like the world was spinning. She could barely hear Kiyoshi calling her name concernedly, or see Hayama move towards her from the corner of her eye.  
  
Guilt was gnawing at Riko. She should have asked Hyuuga. She should have clarified with him. It was such a  _stupid_  mistake, such a silly misunderstanding. It would have been so  _easy_  to clarify, if only Hyuuga had mentioned his first name just once. If only  _Mayuzumi_ had mentioned that it had been the phantom sixth man he was imitating.  
  
It was such a ridiculous situation, Riko felt like laughing uncontrollably. But it was the very fact that it was so laughable that made it so tragic to her.  
  
She suddenly felt angry at Akashi, who had known, felt like confronting him, but could imagine what he would say to her.  _"Why is it relevant that I had known Tetsuya was in Seirin? It isn't useful information that can ensure victory for Rakuzan. What is more significant is that Chihiro keeps learning misdirection."_  
  
And he was right. Riko felt herself cling to the bedsheets tighter, even as Kiyoshi placed his hand over hers and asked her what was wrong. She couldn't hear him over her loud thoughts.  
  
Did it even matter that she hadn't known? Should she-  _would_  she have continued helping Mayuzumi anyway? She was in Rakuzan now, not Seirin.  
  
Riko didn't know the answer.  
  
"Riko, what's wrong?"  
  
At the sound of a louder voice, Riko stirred from her shock, and she looked up to see Hayama's face so close to hers; he was kneeling in front of her to look into her eyes as she faced the floor. She looked around and saw Mibuchi had also approached her to crouch next to Hayama, and Nebuya was standing next to him. Both of them were looking concerned as well.  
  
She turned to look at Kiyoshi; his eyebrows were furrowed, and his hand was still over hers.  _Smile, Teppei,_  Riko thought absently.  _Smile because when you do, it makes everything alright._  
  
She cleared her throat, and forced a smile on her face. "Nothing's wrong, Hayama-kun." She took her hand from under Kiyoshi's, and placed both hands on Hayama's shoulders to push him away from her.  
  
Then she stood up from Kiyoshi's bed, and walked towards the exit of his room. She turned around, forcing another smile on her face and said, "Please excuse me for a moment."  
  
Before Hayama could protest (she could see him open his mouth), she opened the door and walked out. She avoided Mayuzumi's eyes throughout, even though she could feel his worried gaze on her, even though she could feel everyone looking at her.  
  
After walking out of the room, she stood outside in the corridor for a while. Then she turned to lean against the wall, and closed her eyes.  
  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akashi strikes me as the kind of guy who would hate it when the weather inconveniences him, because he can't control it.
> 
> And I just found out that Hayama calls Nebuya 'Ei-chan' so I'm changing it from this point forward.


	18. Jan-ken-pon

Akashi was feeling uncomfortable.  
  
It wasn't even from the heat of the sun. It was having Kuroko right here in front of him. It made him feel the restlessness he always felt whenever he chose to think of the past.  
  
He fought off the urge to wipe off a bead of sweat trailing down his neck, and then Kuroko spoke up.  
  
"I didn't expect Akashi-kun to want to see me even if you visited Tokyo." He leaned on the railings of the balconies, letting his hands fall by his side. Akashi noticed that his fingers were twitching, very slightly.  
  
He and Kuroko continued looking at each other for a moment before Akashi deigned to speak.  
  
"Perhaps, but in this case I thought it necessary for me to inform you of my visit." He stretched his lips into a pleasant smile at Kuroko. "After all, it is only polite to visit a former basketball colleague whom you discovered and developed."  
  
 _I came because of Chihiro. (Not because of you). I wanted to see with my own eyes what Riko's background had to do with his development._  
  
Kuroko nodded, and turned sideways to place a hand on the railing. "It is good that you are here nevertheless." His head turned to face Akashi, and Akashi could see determination clearly revealed in his eyes. "I still believe that Akashi-kun's basketball is wrong. And I will show you that through my playing." Suddenly, Akashi heard a hint of imploring tone in Kuroko's voice. "Playing only for victory is wrong, Akashi-kun. When we play basketball it is with our teammates, and because it is fun when we play with them. Basketball becomes meaningful to me this way. I feel motivated when I play for them, and strive for victory with them."  
  
At these words, Akashi curled his lip minutely.  _You sound as naive as Riko, Tetsuya. I'm disappointed._ Akashi walked serenely towards the railing and placed a hand on it as well, next to Kuroko's hand, very nearly touching it.  
  
He turned to face Kuroko with slightly narrowed eyes. "Oh? And you truly believe that you can win with this naive mentality?" He let out a breath that sounded like a scoff. "Basketball is a sport, Tetsuya. And sport fundamentally revolves around skill, strategy and physique. Something intangible like 'feelings' towards teammates wouldn't guarantee victory."  
  
The quotation marks were obvious in his speech. "It is only when you have done everything you can during practice to improve your skills then victory is certain. This is a concrete logical structure." Akashi tapped a forefinger on the railing. "Premise: constant practice, even if you have to make sacrifices." He tapped the railing again. "And conclusion: certain victory."  
  
He narrowed his eyes even further at Kuroko. "Thinking about frivolous things like how 'fun' or 'meaningful' basketball is when you play with teammates doesn't guarantee victory."  
  
"It is because I play for my teammates that I place great effort into practising basketball. It is because I think of them that I can continue practising even late into the night. And it is because I think of them as more than teammates, as my friends, that I am able to withstand even the most gruelling practice sessions," said Kuroko calmly.  
  
"Practice is done because it is your duty and responsibility. Because it is a necessary undertaking towards victory for the school." Akashi felt his eyebrows furrow as he looked at Kuroko imperiously. "You know this. It was the Teikou way."  
  
"When I went to practice in Teikou, it was with the thought of my former childhood friend, Akashi-kun."  
  
A silence fell between them. After looking at Kuroko for a moment, Akashi turned away to look down at the cars whizzing by the gymnasium.  
  
"Akashi-kun."  
  
Akashi turned back to look at Kuroko, and he saw that the determination had become even more pronounced in Kuroko's eyes. Akashi felt himself grip the railing more tightly imperceptibly.  
  
"Please observe me in the matches later. I will prove to you that Seirin will advance to the final league, and the Interhigh, because we fight for each other."  
  
After he said this, he took his hand off the railing, brushing Akashi's hand slightly, and turned to walk towards the door leading inside the gymnasium. Akashi stared after his back, his eyes still narrowed, and his hand still gripping the railing.  
  
 _You're too naive, Tetsuya,_ thought Akashi, feeling the contours of the railing acutely against his palm. It made slightly squeaking sounds as he gripped it.  _Thinking about the meaning behind basketball doesn't guarantee victory. Victory shouldn't have to mean anything, it just should be achieved._  
  
Another thought struck Akashi, and he released the railing slightly as it hit him.  _What about Chihiro._ Akashi felt his eyebrows furrow deeper, still looking towards the door that Kuroko disappeared into.  
  
 _No. It cannot be because he thinks the same way that he has experienced such tremendous improvement. It isn't logical. It is impossible. Things like that don't work in reality. It is too idealistic, too naive, too uncertain. If it is so, everyone who is motivated will be able to achieve victory easily._  
  
He released the railing and started walking towards the doorway.  
  
 _Instead, Rakuzan is always the victor. Because we rely on certainty and hard logic, rather than unreliable, indeterminate things like 'feelings' or 'motivation'._  
  
He walked through the doorway, and turned to walk towards the viewing area for the basketball courts.  
  
 _We shall see who is right, Tetsuya, and who will ultimately triumph._  
  
He felt his fingers twitch, although he continued walking calmly down the corridor.  
  
 _Your views are negligible to me now that I have Chihiro._  
  
____  
  
  
Hayama was still kneeling on the hospital floor gaping at the doorway that Riko disappeared into. He scratched his head and contorted his face in confusion.  _What the hell is going on?_ A jolt of worry ran through his heart.  _Could_ _it be her shoulder?_  
  
He quickly jumped up, and was about to dart through the doorway when Mayuzumi spoke up.  
  
"Please excuse me as well." He turned and strode out of the room, following Riko.  
  
"Hey, wait! I'm going too-"  
  
"Hayama-kun."  
  
Hayama had only taken two steps when Kiyoshi spoke up. He turned to look at the boy, and he was smiling at Hayama.  
  
"I have a feeling this is something between Chihiro-kun and Riko. Why don't we leave them alone for a few minutes."  
  
Hayama opened his mouth to protest, but Mibuchi interrupted him.  
  
"Kiyoshi's right." Hayama turned to look at Mibuchi; he got up from where he had still been crouched on the floor and looked at Hayama with a slight frown. "We should let them sort this out on their own. You shouldn't get in the way, Kotarou-chan."  
  
"But Riko looked so  _weird-_ "  
  
"Hayama-kun."  
  
Hayama sighed, and looked at Kiyoshi again. Kiyoshi reached out towards his bedside table to grab the box containing the Hanafuda cards, then held it up towards Hayama. "Want to play Hanafuda with me?"  
  
Hayama just stared and blinked at him.  _What. Hanafuda? Iron Heart's so random._  
  
"Sorry, Kiyoshi, but we might have to leave soon to catch the matches, so Hanafuda might take too long," Mibuchi spoke up for Hayama. "Perhaps another type of game?"  
  
Hayama felt his fingers twitching and he scowled.  _Everyone's treating me like a child._ He threw a glare at the door where Mayuzumi and Riko had disappeared off to.  _I'm just worried about Riko. She had such a weird expression...of horror. And guilt. And she looked so conflicted._  
  
"Good idea, Mibuchi-kun! Maybe  _jan-ken-pon_  (rock-paper-scissors) then?"  
  
Mibuchi smiled, and nodded at Kiyoshi. "That's good. Kotarou-chan loves that game."  
  
"Hayama-kun?" said Kiyoshi, and he gestured at his bed for Hayama to sit.  
  
Hayama felt his fingers twitch again. Then he sighed, and ran them through his hair. He threw another glance at the doorway, then walked towards Kiyoshi's bed, with a petulant scowl the entire time.  
  
Once he was comfortably seated, he glanced at Nebuya from the corner of his eye.  _Why the hell is Ei-chan so uncharacteristically silent as well? He's the one who's the most obsessed with Iron Heart._  
  
Kiyoshi beamed at him on the bed, and then they both started playing the game.  
  
"First comes rock!" he said joyfully and both of them threw out fists. "Rock-paper-scissors!"  
  
Kiyoshi threw out 'rock' again while Hayama had changed his to 'scissors'. Hayama scowled.  _Shit. I lost._  
  
They continued playing a few more rounds, and then Kiyoshi said pleasantly, "So how's Riko finding Rakuzan?"  
  
"She's fine," said Hayama distractedly. He had been losing the entire time.  _How the hell is Iron Heart doing this?_  
  
Kiyoshi hummed, and threw out 'scissors' while Hayama threw out 'paper'.  _Dammit._  
  
"Is she doing well as assistant coach?" said Kiyoshi, still with a pleasant tone.  
  
"Yeah, she is, of course! Although she argues a lot with Akashi," Hayama said; he felt irritated again when he lost another round. He threw out 'scissors'.  
  
Kiyoshi had 'rock'.  _Gah! Shit! Why?_ Hayama ran his fingers through his hair again, and shuffled on the bed in preparation for another round.  
  
"Why are they arguing so much?" Kiyoshi asked lightheartedly. Hayama was still distracted by the game, and didn't notice Mibuchi narrow his eyes slightly.  
  
"Oh, you know, difference in ideals and stuff."  
  
Hayama threw out 'rock'. Kiyoshi had 'paper'.  
  
 _What the- how? I lost again?_ Hayama buried both hands in his hair, scowling in frustration, then shuffled on the bed again for the next round.  
  
"'Difference in ideals', huh?" said Kiyoshi thoughtfully as he threw out 'rock' while Hayama had 'scissors'. Ignoring Hayama's muffled sound of frustration, he continued, "Is Akashi the only one she has differences with?"  
  
Hayama threw out 'scissors' again, and replied distractedly, "Nah, he's just the only one she argues with most of the time. All of us find her weird."  
  
 _Dammit_! Hayama cursed inwardly. Kiyoshi had won again, with 'rock'.  
  
Then, Kiyoshi sighed, and threw out 'paper', just as Hayama threw out 'rock'. "Yeah, that's what I was worried about," said Kiyoshi, once again ignoring Hayama as he punched himself in the leg out of frustration.  
  
"Coaching in Rakuzan is an unmissable opportunity and I wholeheartedly encouraged her to take it...but it's really not a good fit for her," he continued, beating Hayama's 'scissors' with his 'rock'. "I keep thinking and worrying that she's not adapting well to Rakuzan. That she might be happier if she was back in Seirin."  
  
 _What._  
  
Hayama had been squirming on the bed with his hands in his hair again due to his loss in every round when he heard what Kiyoshi said. At his words, he stood up from the bed, clenching his fists by his side.  
  
"Riko's happy in Rakuzan! Much,  _much_ happier than she ever was in Seirin!" Hayama growled at Kiyoshi. He was breathing heavily, out of frustration, and out of sudden anger. He noticed Mibuchi glance away from both of them, and felt irrationally angrier.  _Does Reo-nee agree with Kiyoshi?_  
  
Kiyoshi blinked at Hayama's sudden aggression, and started to say, "Well. I wouldn't know if she was happy or if she wasn't because she never tells me anything about how she is during our phone conversations, it's always about me, or Seirin, or Hyuug-"  
  
"Kiyoshi Teppei!" Nebuya suddenly interrupted.  
  
Everyone turned to look at him with widened eyes; Hayama's mouth was slightly open.  
  
Nebuya took a deep breath and continued, "When we competed against each other in my first year of middle school, I lost to you."  
  
 _What. The. Hell. Was he not paying any attention at all to the conversation?_ Hayama continued staring at him, feeling nonplussed.  
  
"You were temporarily playing the power forward position against me, and I was a power forward regular at the time." Hayama noticed Nebuya's hands curl into fists. "I lost for the first time, against you, who didn't even play the power forward position regularly!"  
  
Nebuya was breathing heavily. He took another deep breath, and continued, "And ever since then, ever since your words to me after the match, I've been improving myself. I've been getting buffer just to go against you once more!"  
  
Hayama turned to look at Kiyoshi; he was still looking surprised at Nebuya's sudden words.  
  
"But now, seeing you in the hospital..." Nebuya looked down to the floor. Hayama noticed his hands slackening from their fist form, and he turned to look at the floor as well.  
  
"It seems as though you won't get to participate in the Interhigh."  
  
Hayama felt his eyebrows furrow. The room was silent. The only sounds that could be heard were the far-off sounds of the doctors' and nurses' conversations through the door.  
  
Nebuya took a breath again, and said, "I guess I just want to say...I kind of wanted to compete with you in the Interhigh."  
  
Hayama nodded as well, and turned his head upwards to look at Kiyoshi. His eyes were still widened and eyebrows still raised.  
  
There was a short moment during which he kept looking like that towards Nebuya.  
  
Then, he smiled, and lifted a hand to his head to scratch it. He turned to look outside the window, still smiling. Hayama thought it looked wistful, and slightly sad.  
  
"Yeah...me too." He released a quiet breath. "To be honest...even though I believe with all my heart that Seirin is strong..."  His wistful smile widened, and his eyes crinkled slightly.  
  
"I really,  _really_ wanted to compete in the Interhigh as well. With Hyuuga, and Izuki. And everyone else in Seirin."  
  
Hayama could feel silence descending in the room once again. His eyebrows furrowed deeper. He heard the sounds of children laughing coming in from the window, intermingled with the murmured words of doctors and nurses outside the door.  
  
Kiyoshi let out another breath and turned to look back at Nebuya.  
  
"I would never tell them this, though. They have too much to think about. But..." He crinkled his eyes at Nebuya, but his eyebrows furrowed slightly.  
  
"It would have been awesome to participate in the Interhigh and have gotten the chance to compete with you again."  
  
Silence stretched out in the room once more. Hayama felt like the walls of the room were closing in on him.  
  
He glanced at Nebuya from the corner of his eye. He was frowning as well, as he listened to Kiyoshi. Hayama turned away, and quietly sat down on Kiyoshi's bed again.  
  
They played rock-paper-scissors again, and Kiyoshi threw out 'rock' while Hayama had 'scissors'. This time, Hayama didn't feel frustrated or angry that he had lost again.  
  
"When Rakuzan wins the Interhigh, we'll win it for all the players that couldn't make it through."  
  
It was Mibuchi who had spoken up. Hayama's eyes widened and he turned to look at him.  _What is he saying-_  
  
"We'll compete in it...for people like you," said Nebuya, nodding at Mibuchi's words. He was still frowning, and he looked grim as he looked at Kiyoshi.  
  
Hayama looked at him with wide eyes as well.  _What are they both saying? Victory is always certain for us. It's not something to throw around like this, like it...means anything. It just needs to be achieved because that's the way it's always been done._  
  
 _You were like that too,_ a voice spoke up in Hayama's mind. He frowned at it.  _Remember that practice match with Mayuzumi. You were fighting to win for Riko._  
  
 _I did that also because Akashi says we always have to strive for victory. It's our duty,_ Hayama told himself, and the voice.  _Victory has to be achieved because it has to be achieved. And through my skills alone._  
  
The voice fell silent.  
  
But he couldn't banish the guilt he felt towards Akashi as he thought about the practice match.  
  
Kiyoshi, meanwhile, had smiled at Nebuya's and Mibuchi's words. Hayama shoved his inner conflict out of the way, and turned to look up at Kiyoshi as he replied Nebuya and Mibuchi, "Thank you. I really appreciate that!"  
  
Hayama continued playing  _jan-ken-pon_ with Kiyoshi, losing every time.  
  
____  
  
  
Mayuzumi had walked out of Kiyoshi's room to find Riko leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. He frowned at the furrow in her eyebrows, and tapped her on the head to get her attention.  
  
Her eyes flew open and her frown deepened immediately at the sight of him. She turned away, and bit her lip.  
  
Mayuzumi sighed, and shoved his hands into his pockets. He leaned on the wall opposite to Riko in the narrow hospital corridor, and continued frowning at her.  
  
Then he said, "Mind telling me what is going on with you?" He made no effort to hide his frustration. "You went completely white at the mention of that Tetsuya guy."  
  
She was still looking away from him, still biting her lip. There were a few moments of silence, during which Mayuzumi struggled to keep still against the wall.  
 _  
What the hell. Is this guy such a hotshot. Everyone can't seem to shut up about him._  
  
Then, she finally turned to look at him, worry and conflict evident in her eyes.  
  
"I didn't know Kuroko-kun was the player you were imitating. I didn't know he was in Seirin."  
  
"Big news, Kuroko Tetsuya is in Seirin," Mayuzumi deadpanned sarcastically. "So?" Mayuzumi felt his hands itching to go into fists at the mention of Kuroko again. Bitter frustration was creeping over him. He was always compared to that boy.  _But I'm not him._ "What does it matter if he's in Seirin?"  
  
"It's just..." Riko sighed, and leaned her head back against the wall. "I've been helping you with misdirection as well. So if Rakuzan went against Seirin...both of you would be competing using the same techniques."  
  
 _That's right. But I'll be the better player. No doubt about it._  
  
Mayuzumi sighed as well, and tried to keep his frown from deepening. "Look, Riko, you said it yourself. I'm different from him."  _Completely different from him._ "You said I had to develop my own basketball by learning from others. So that's what I did, by learning Kuroko Tetsuya's techniques. It shouldn't matter if he's in Seirin or not, because this is my development we're concerned with here."  
  
He continued looking at her as she turned away from him again. She took a breath, and said, "Yeah, I really want you to develop as well. But..." He heard her say in a low voice. "Seirin needs those techniques so much. They need them to win."  
  
Mayuzumi felt a jolt of anger run through his body as he heard her muttered words.  _I n_ _eed those techniques as well. Perhaps more than them. Just to survive in Rakuzan, and be able to play the basketball that makes me happy._  
  
He inhaled quietly, and said, "Why are you so concerned about Seirin's basketball? You're in Rakuzan now." She turned to look at him, and he saw conflict in her eyes once again. "You would've had to do research against Seirin eventually, once we start meeting in competitions," he continued. "That's what you do when you meet competitors. You expect Seirin to just laze around if they ever face us?"  
  
He scoffed. "They'll find strategies against our Uncrowned Kings for sure. Especially since you've got Kiyoshi Teppei over there who's gone against them before." He jerked his head towards the door as a gesture. "So. He says he doesn't remember the details of competing against some of the best basketball players when he was in middle school." He scoffed again. "As if."  
  
He looked at the door with narrowed eyes. "He's not as clueless as everyone thinks."  
  
Riko still looked conflicted, and it was making Mayuzumi frustrated. He curled one of his hands in his pocket into a fist.  
  
"Come on, Riko," he said loudly, to get her attention. "I'll get you a drink. You look like I'm torturing you." He smirked. "I don't think I'm that horrible to be around, right?"  
  
He stood up from where he was leaning against the wall and started to walk towards the direction of the hospital cafe. Turning to look at Riko to see if she was following, he felt his frown deepen unconsciously when he saw her biting her lip once again.  
  
He sighed, then took out one of his hands from his pockets to rap her on the head. She lifted a hand to swat his away irritatedly, narrowing her eyes.  
  
"Stop being so backward-looking, Riko. I know you want to change Rakuzan, and I support you in some respects. But to do that, you would have to acknowledge Rakuzan as well. You have to believe in Rakuzan too."  
  
He looked her directly in the eye. "You can't do that if you keep thinking about Seirin." 

_And it's so unfair for you to keep thinking this way. Unfair towards me, and towards every other player you're training in Rakuzan._

He turned away from her completely and continued walking down the corridor, expecting her to follow.  
  
____  
  
  
After the short visit to the cafe, during which Riko remained silent the whole time even as Mayuzumi made more sarcastic quips to get her attention, Riko and Mayuzumi had entered Kiyoshi's room to find Hayama on his bed playing  _jan-ken-pon._  
  
After a brief moment of confusion, and a jumbled explanation from Hayama, Mayuzumi quietly said that they had to leave for the gymnasium or else they would be too late for the matches. Hayama had leapt up from the bed immediately, and turned away quickly from Kiyoshi, trying not to look into his eyes. He had glanced worriedly at Riko, but she remained silent, and avoided his questioning glance. He turned away from her, and stood by the door fidgeting, throwing glances at her as he waited for everyone.  
  
Mibuchi had smiled at Kiyoshi and waved him goodbye, wishing him all the best in the recuperation process. Then he walked out of the room, and waited in the corridor for everyone else.  
  
Nebuya had exchanged a long look of understanding with Kiyoshi. Then, he nodded once, and turned to follow Mibuchi out as Kiyoshi beamed and waved him out.  
  
Mayuzumi quietly wished Kiyoshi "Hope you get better soon", and clapped him on the shoulder, before striding out of the door to wait next to Mibuchi.  
  
Riko, on her part, had been thinking about Mayuzumi's words the entire time everyone said their farewells. He was right. Seirin was the past, she didn't belong there anymore. She was assistant coach in Rakuzan, so she had to focus on Rakuzan.  
  
 _So why do I still feel like I betrayed Seirin?,_ she thought with slight desperation.  
  
Then, when it came to her turn, she strode up to Kiyoshi's bed, and looked at him for a long time. He looked back at her, directly into her eyes, and smiled kindly and gently at her.  
  
She slowly lifted her arms, and placed them around his neck, feeling his wrap around her torso. She breathed in his scent again, committing it to memory, hoping that it stayed on her person for as long as possible.  
  
Just as she moved to release him, she heard him murmur in her ear, "Don't worry about Seirin. We'll be okay. Just focus on yourself in Rakuzan."  
  
She took a deep breath, and felt an urge to hug him tighter, simply because he always said things to comfort her, and merely the sound of them temporarily relieved her. But instead of hugging him again, she just gave him a smile.  
  
She lifted a hand to ruffle his hair. "And you just focus on recovering too." She turned to walk away from him, saying as she did so, "I'll call you soon, Teppei."  
  
He waved her out, still beaming his comforting, wide smile.  
  
She followed the other boys down the hospital corridors and towards the exit of the building absent-mindedly. She was still distracted, as she thought about her guilt, and the conflict raging within her.  
  
When they arrived outside the hospital, Mibuchi was saying that they had to go towards the nearest Tokyo Metro station to get to the gymnasium, and she suddenly realised that she had forgotten her backpack.  
  
"Oh  _shit,_ I left my backpack in Teppei's room!" said Riko to the boys, interrupting Mibuchi. She quickly turned around to head towards the hospital again. "You guys go on first, I'll catch up."  
  
"Don't worry about it," Mayuzumi spoke up. He turned towards the hospital entrance, where he stood nearest to, and said, "I'll get it for you."  
  
He walked towards the hospital before Riko could say anything.  
  
___  
  
  
Mayuzumi arrived outside Kiyoshi's room without ado. He schooled his expression into one of blankness, then knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in!" He heard Kiyoshi's joyful tones.  
  
When he opened the door, Kiyoshi was looking at the Hanafuda cards Riko had given him once more. He looked up and smiled when he saw Mayuzumi.  
  
"Oh, Chihiro-kun! It's you!"  
  
Mayuzumi nodded.  _This guy is always so perky. How does he keep up the energy._ He thought of Riko and how she was always so impulsive and explosively angry towards Akashi. It had happened so many times during practice.  _Must be a Seirin thing._  
  
"Riko forgot her backpack. I came to get it for her."  
  
He walked towards the backpack lying next to Kiyoshi's bedside table, ignoring his reply, "Huh, she forgot her backpack? I didn't even notice it there!"  
  
Picking it up, he turned towards Kiyoshi again and said, "I'm leaving now. Once again, hope you will get better soon." He nodded at Kiyoshi, and turned to walk out of the room when Kiyoshi stopped him.  
  
"Wait."  
  
He turned to look at Kiyoshi again.  _What is it. Did you think I'd forgotten who you are and you want to introduce yourself to me again.  
_  
As he looked at him, Mayuzumi thought about Kiyoshi, and his impression of him. Iron Heart wasn't like Mayuzumi expected. He was so...scatter-brained. But there was something in his eyes that told of immense perceptiveness. He was an Uncrowned King after all.  
  
 _And there's always 'something' about them._  
  
Kiyoshi just smiled broadly as Mayuzumi continued looking meditatively at him.  
  
And then he said, "Why don't we have a short chat?"  
  
____  
  
  
Akashi was standing with his arms crossed in the viewing area, behind all the spectators in seats. He narrowed his eyes as he watched Seirin play against Seihou.  
  
The first half had already begun, and the rest of the Rakuzan crew he had come with to Tokyo was still nowhere to be found in the gymnasium. But Akashi hadn't cared about them, because his eyes were glued to the Seirin-Seihou match. Analysing, picking out weaknesses of both teams. And picking out the strengths.  
  
Seirin was playing with so much vigour and spirit. It was obvious they were playing with something else on their minds. Something aside from victory. Akashi felt himself frowning.  
  
 _That is no way to ensure victory. In order for victory to be achieved, you need focus. You need to aspire only for victory and nothing else._  
  
He watched the way that player everyone was talking about, Kagami Taiga, and Tetsuya passed the ball effortlessly to one another –  _Daiki passed the ball to his left without looking, but of course Tetsuya had been there to accept it flawlessly –_ both of them with so much determination in their eyes.  
  
But even more determined were the second-years in the match. Akashi felt his eyes narrow even further as he watched Seirin's captain make shot after shot, not out of  _skill – his skill pales in comparison to Reo's –_ but out of  _faith_. And the point guard, who was a  _relatively_ good on-court strategist, was passing the ball around with the certainty that the receiver would do everything he could to receive it.  
  
 _That is no way to strategise on the court. Every pass must be received once the probability has been calculated for the receive to occur. Not out of something so uncertain as trust._  
  
The final second-year was throwing all his effort into defending the basket and collecting rebounds, and it was obvious that it was for the inaccurate Kagami's shots.  
  
 _He is nothing compared to Eikichi._  
  
Akashi sighed, and kneaded his eyebrows.  _Tetsuya, do you honestly believe you can win with this line-up? Your team's inexperience is showing up everywhere. Only you play with certainty in all your moves._  
  
He scoffed when he watched Kagami expend useless energy on trying to escape the Seihou defender, and waste even more due to his hot-headedness.  
  
But even as he knew all this, as he continued watching Seirin play, he felt the familiar disquietude creep over him. With every pat on the back the Seirin captain gave the point guard, every fleeting smile Tetsuya sent towards Kagami.  
  
He sighed imperceptibly, and rubbed his forehead.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: The Epic Clash of Phantom vs. Phantom!
> 
> Based on my plan and drafts, the story is slightly more than halfway through, so I want to take this opportunity to get some feedback! What do you like about the story so far? And especially, and more importantly, what do you DISlike? 
> 
> It can be anything, plot, pacing, characterisation, etcetera etcetera. I'm keen to know so that I can make improvements before the final half of the story is finalised. Thanx! :D


	19. When Worlds Collide

In Kiyoshi's room, Mayuzumi merely stared at the boy as he heard the question.  
  
 _It's a strange thing,_ Mayuzumi mused,  _to be torn between two choices. That is, staying in this room with Iron Heart, an Uncrowned King even if he is lying on a hospital bed...or jumping out the window._  
  
Kiyoshi was still beaming at Mayuzumi, expecting an answer from him.  
  
Mayuzumi shifted where he stood, then nodded once. Immediately, Kiyoshi's smile widened.  
  
 _Hm_ , Mayuzumi thought.  _I hadn't thought that was possible._  
  
Kiyoshi bounced on his bed, then patted a spot next to him. "Why don't you come sit here, Chihiro-kun? Ah- wait." His eyes widened. "You don't mind that I call you Chihiro-kun, right? Riko mentioned you were a year older than us."  
  
His eyes crinkled. "But Riko seems so close to you that I feel close to you too!"  
  
Mayuzumi smirked, his usual sardonic smile. "I would prefer to stand, thanks. Since I will have to leave soon anyway."  
  
 _And...I do mind. I'm older than you. You should show some respect,_ Mayuzumi thought.  _But it's not like any Uncrowned King does, anyway. All of that dissipated the moment I joined them during practice._ He felt his fingers grip Riko's backpack tightly.  
  
Outwardly, Mayuzumi continued smirking. "And actually, please do address me as senpai."  
  
"Okay, senpai!" said Kiyoshi jovially.  
  
"Please make this quick," Mayuzumi added. "The others are waiting for me."  _That orange-haired idiot will most definitely blow a fuse._  
  
"Of course, of course," said Kiyoshi, nodding vigorously. He smiled again.  
  
There was a short pause before he started. "So. Senpai. You're very close to Riko, aren't you?"  
  
Mayuzumi stifled a snort.  _None of your business, Iron Heart. "_ Yeah. We're okay," he replied. "She's training me."  
  
"That's good, that's really good!" Kiyoshi said, nodding enthusiastically again. "I can see that just from those few short moments earlier. You're very perceptive to every action she does. And very good at people observation too!"  
  
Mayuzumi remained pokerfaced. But he was thinking,  _And it turns out that you are, too, Iron Heart. I was right. There_ is ' _something' about you._  
  
Kiyoshi continued, still in pleasant tones, "So...you're great with Riko. And you're a Rakuzan basketball team member? A starting regular?"  
  
"...yeah."  
  
"Awesome!" said Kiyoshi. "You must be incredibly skillful! It's  _Rakuzan_ after all."  
  
Mayuzumi said nothing. But his eyes were starting to narrow slightly.  _What are you implying, Iron Heart. Spit it out. Stop playing these games._  
  
"So you're close to Riko, she's training you, and you're a Rakuzan starter," said Kiyoshi, looking upwards as he thoughtfully listed out the facts he had learnt of Mayuzumi. Then, he turned back to him. His eyes suddenly revealed piercing astuteness.  
  
"What I'm more curious about, senpai...is how your relationship is with the  _other_ starting regulars?"  
  
Mayuzumi's eyes immediately narrowed. He matched Kiyoshi's sharp gaze with one of his own.  _So. This is what you wanted to know, Iron Heart. What does it matter to you. Do you want to look out for your buddies?_  
  
He smirked. "We're just  _great_. We've become best friends over the course of training." His tone was laden with sarcasm.  
  
"Ooh!" said Kiyoshi. The sarcasm had flown over his head.  _Apparently,_ Mayuzumi thought, still suspicious of Kiyoshi's cluelessness.  
  
"You've all become best friends!" Kiyoshi continued joyfully. "Even with Akashi? He seemed reserved when I played against him."  
  
Mayuzumi snorted at that.  _Reserved? More like deliberately unsociable._ Outwardly, he merely said, "...yes."  _You don't need to know Rakuzan's social dynamics, Iron Heart._  
  
"Well..." Kiyoshi scratched his head, and smiled at Mayuzumi. "That contradicts what I saw earlier. Your dynamic with the others." He crinkled his eyes. "That was a tad...unfriendly."  
  
He gestured around the room. "You were obviously standing apart from the others. And Hayama-kun seems aggressive towards you."  
  
 _Finally being straightforward now, huh, Iron Heart_.  _That's right. I refuse to cooperate until you show your true colours._  
  
"Hayama and I have a love-hate relationship," said Mayuzumi with a smirk. "Our basketball truly sparkles that way. It's breathtaking to watch."  
  
Kiyoshi sighed. "Senpai." His tone sounded weary.  
  
Mayuzumi stopped smiling. His eyes narrowed further. He suddenly felt like the walls were closing in on him.  
  
Kiyoshi wasn't looking at him anymore. He was playing with a loose thread on his bedcovers. As he tugged it, he said, "I...kind of got the impression that you don't get along very much with the others." He stopped pulling the string.  
  
Turning to look at Mayuzumi, he cracked a kind, understanding smile. "Why don't you tell me why?"  
  
Mayuzumi felt himself gripping the handle of Riko's backpack more tightly. He felt like his throat had closed in suppressed frustration.  _That is none of your business, Iron Heart. You're an Uncrowned King. You won't understand at all. You won't understand the pain. You won't understand the insecurities. You won't understand the self-doubt that comes with training with people like you. Talented people like you, who have everyth-_  
  
"It's because you people are Uncrowned Kings."  
  
Mayuzumi blinked, and reeled back slightly. He had heard his voice bitterly spit out the statement involuntarily.  
  
He narrowed his eyes at Kiyoshi again. It must have been Kiyoshi's smile. Or his eyes.  _They must have done some creepy shit to get me to blurt that out. But since I've already started this..._  
  
He took a deep breath, and said, "You guys have an overabundance of talent."  
  
 _...I might as well go all the way._  
  
Mayuzumi scoffed, and continued, "You have absolutely  _no idea_ just how much practice it takes for a normal player to shoot accurately. To get a formation down right. To do suicide drills without panting or slowing down. And why is that?"  
  
He lifted a hand to gesture. "Talent, of course. Freaking  _talent._ Something freely given to you without you guys having even worked for it. And it's made all of you so damn desensitised. To people's sweat and effort. To  _winning_. You guys take it so flippantly."  
  
He snorted, before continuing. "I'm in Rakuzan, so victory for the school is nothing to me too. But I couldn't feel it for myself personally. I had to fight so  _damn_ hard just to be able to play in a match. I had to imitate some other guy's techniques, it made me feel sic-"  
  
 _No._ Mayuzumi cut himself off with his own thoughts.  _I didn't imitate him. Like Riko said, I imbibed his techniques for my own development. I became my own player. I developed my own basketball._  
  
Mayuzumi took a deep breath. He glared at Kiyoshi, who had stopped smiling. But his eyes remained kind.  
  
"Anyway," said Mayuzumi more calmly. "Basically, you guys just don't know how it is to practise so hard, and then fail. And then practise again, and again, and again, until finally achieving one small step, one small modicum of your dreams."  
  
He paused, then finished with, "Because you guys are Uncrowned Kings."  
  
Kiyoshi nodded slowly, reflectively.  
  
Mayuzumi sighed, and lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.  _Great. I just poured my heart out to Iron Heart like he's Aunt Agony. How wonderful._  
  
He was interrupted by Kiyoshi saying, "That's all very interesting, senpai. You're obviously very passionate, and extremely ardent about basketball."  
  
Mayuzumi stared at him with a blank look on his face.  
  
"But...you didn't think of one thing." He smiled kindly. "Your teammates."  
  
 _What. They're all I've been talking about._ Mayuzumi's eyebrow twitched.  
  
"I'm absolutely sure that they practise just as hard as you do," Kiyoshi continued. Then he paused in thought. "Actually, perhaps they practise harder than most of the other players on the Rakuzan team."  
  
He turned back to smile at Mayuzumi. "For someone with talent, the worst thing you can do is waste it away. Even more so when it's in something you love."  
  
He looked at the door. "Your teammates, and me included. We all love basketball. We love it with all our hearts." He turned back to look at Mayuzumi.  
  
"We love it just as much as you do." His smile broadened, and a gentle expression took over his face. "So they definitely don't take all their talent for granted. I'm certain of it. You just have to...put yourself in their shoes. Understand  _their_  perspective."  
  
Mayuzumi's hands were in fists as he gripped Riko's backpack. "Understand their perspective?  _Their_ perspective?" he spat out.  
  
Mayuzumi let out a bark of scornful laughter. "They're not doing a single damn thing to understand mine! Why should I do it for them?"  
  
He was breathing heavily, and glaring at Kiyoshi.  _They're making things so shitty for me and you want me to 'understand' them? That's just cruel, Iron Heart. So cruel._ He suppressed a growl of frustration.  
  
"Yes," said Kiyoshi calmly. "Understand them."  
  
" _Why_?"  
  
There was a short pause.  
  
"Because if you do, basketball will become fun for you when you play with them."  
  
A silence fell over them.  
  
Mayuzumi was still breathing hard, but his glare was softening as he looked at Kiyoshi. Then he turned away, and let out a sharp breath.  
  
His breathing was starting to calm down. He lifted a hand to his eyes, covering them. He stood like this for a while, in the silence between them.  
  
Then, he finally lifted it from his eyes. When he did, his face was inscrutable again. He looked at Kiyoshi for a moment.  
  
"I'll...think about it," he said at last.  
  
Kiyoshi broke into an even wider, gentler smile.  
  
Mayuzumi shouldered Riko's backpack, then turned around to face the exit. He took a step, but paused immediately after that.  
  
"I have to go now. The others must be wondering what's happened to me. But..."  
  
He let out another sharp breath. "...thanks, Kiyoshi."  
  
As he strode towards the door without looking back, he heard Kiyoshi call at him, "No problem, senpai! Anything for Riko's friend!"  
  
 _Riko,_ Mayuzumi was thinking as he walked towards the exit of the hospital building.  _Your friends truly are as naive as you are._  
  
But a weight in his chest had lifted, and his steps felt lighter as he walked on the tiled floors.  
  
____  
  
  
Riko was standing with the others, waiting for Mayuzumi to come back. She was still thinking about her dilemma, her conflict. It weighed on her mind, disturbed her mind.  
  
Hayama was refusing to leave her alone. He had taken to poking her, and pointing out random tall buildings and cars around them. He was under the impression that it could distract her from her current problem.  
  
It only added annoyance to her current list of negative emotions.  
  
She was about to snap at him when Mayuzumi finally returned, carrying her backpack. As he handed it to her, Hayama made a face at him.  
  
 _"Finally,_ Mayuzumi. What took you so long?" He switched to a childish sneer. "Couldn't do something as simple as finding a backpack?"  
  
Mayuzumi looked at him meditatively. His fingers twitched slightly for a moment, then stopped.  
  
"...if that impression of me would quell your irritation, then yes, that reason was the case," stated Mayuzumi monotonously.  
  
" _Huh?_ "  
  
Hayama was about to open his mouth to reply, when Mibuchi irritatedly interrupted.  
  
"Come on, let's get going. We're already late. We have to get to the gymnasium now." He turned around, and started walking, leading them towards the Tokyo Metro station.  
  
Hayama shot a glare at Mayuzumi, and then everyone trudged after Mibuchi.  
  
It didn't take long for them to get on the right train and head off towards the gymnasium. When they arrived there, they rushed to the courts where the Seirin-Seihou match was being held. Loud cheers were reverberating around the courts, sounding like torrential waves to Riko. She couldn't hear if they were cheering for Seirin or Seihou.  
  
Once they arrived at the viewing area, Riko rushed towards the railing, pressing herself against the metallic frame. She was trying to get as close as possible, to view the action in the courts below her. She bit her lip, then felt her heart leap in her chest as she spotted the Seirin boys playing in the match.  
  
The match was already in its fourth quarter. Riko narrowed her eyes, scanning the players below. She recognised a few Seihou players from the year before. Her eyes fell on one Seihou player she didn't recognise. He was very good, utilising an unusual, but effective defensive position.  
  
He was effectively tiring out the red-headed Seirin player marking him. The redhead was a player Riko didn't recognise, but from her vantage point, she could somewhat see his stats. They were very impressive, even from where she was standing so far away from him.  
  
 _This must be Kagami 'Tiger'._  
  
But having already seen Akashi's, and being constantly surrounded by the Uncrowned Kings...  
  
Riko felt slightly sad that the joy she would have once felt at Seirin obtaining such a player was now so subdued, so dampened. It was now so anticlimactic.  
  
 _This wouldn't have happened if you stayed at Seirin,_ a voice sang in the back of her head. She quashed it down immediately.  
  
Now wasn't the time to ruminate on her conflict. It was the time to support her friends.  
  
She smiled as she watched Hyuuga, Izuki and Mitobe play with so much vigour and spirit. They really had improved from the last time she saw them.  
  
She almost deliberately didn't look for the fifth Seirin player, possibly the phantom sixth man of the Miracles.  
  
The fourth quarter ended with a narrow win for Seirin. It was a good thing it ended when it did. Riko had been steadily growing more furious with Kagami. He had expended useless energy being angry at the Seihou defender. Not even Hyuuga and Izuki trying to talk him down worked.  
  
There had been another player who liberally whacked Kagami. Riko couldn't remember his face the moment she turned away from him.  
  
 _That could have been the phantom sixth man, Kuroko Tetsuya._  
  
All of that hadn't worked. If Riko had been there, she would have subbed Kagami out, for sure.  
  
Riko cast a glance at Seirin's bench. She hoped they had enough substitute players for the next match.  
  
The end of the match signalled a break for the players before the finals of the preliminaries began. Riko's heart was pounding an erratic symphony in her chest. She was so  _overjoyed._  
  
Seirin had made it to the finals of the preliminaries. Only one more round, then it was the final league. Then, the Interhigh.  
  
 _Then, Rakuzan might go against Seirin,_ the voice interjected her joyful thoughts mockingly. It sounded like a high-pitched violin twang.  _And Kuroko Tetsuya will be shut down by Chihiro._  
  
She ignored it.  
  
After watching the bowing formalities between the players for a moment, she flew away from the metal railing, letting out a clang, then ran towards the stairs leading towards the courts. Leaping down them two at a time, she dashed towards the benches. The Seirin players were now gathered together, still mopping their sweat and drinking water, wide grins plastered on their faces.  
  
She decided to interrupt their chaotic discussion of the match.  
  
"Guys!"  
  
Her voice was loud, and quavered in her joy. The moment she let out the call, the Seirin boys turned to her as one.  
  
They dropped their water bottles and towels, immediately dashing towards her. Exclamations erupted around her, and she soaked them all up with a large grin on her face.  
  
 _"Riko!"_  
  
"You made it! Did you see the match?"  
  
"Wasn't it  _awesome?_ We beat Seihou!"  
  
"We did so much better than last year! I think we can definitely make it to the Interhigh!"  
  
Riko didn't bother answering all the excited questions and cries. In this moment, she had been looking at only one person.  
  
She had been looking at Hyuuga.  
  
He was looking at her with a smile, standing a little behind all the players around her. The corners of his lips were twitching, and Riko just  _knew_ he wanted to broaden it. She felt her own lips stretch upwards even more as she looked at him. As she looked into his  _eyes._  
  
She had missed the look in them. That unflinching determination and resoluteness. The twin pillars of strength that had kept flashing in her mind throughout her time in Rakuzan.  
  
They were right there in front of her now.  
  
A bubble of joy rose within Riko. It swept over her like a soft, coarsing wave. She took a step forward, still grinning madly, and clapped Hyuuga on the shoulder.  
  
"Good job, captain."  
  
His grin widened. "I had the best coach." A soft look came over his face as he gazed at her. "She made me into who I am today."  
  
Riko could only smile at him in response. Her throat had closed in her happiness at simply being able to clap him on the shoulder like this.  
  
From the corner of her eye, she could see her Rakuzan fellowship trudge up behind her. Hyuuga had turned to look at them behind her, just as Izuki came forward and prodded her.  
  
"Hey, coach!"  
  
 _He still calls me coach._ Riko quelled the tears rising in her eyes out of will, and turned to him with a grin.  
  
"Izuki-kun!" They fist-bumped.  
  
Izuki's eyes were gleaming in excitement, which could only mean one thing. "Did you get the opportunity to  _pun_ use my  _pun_ ning joke book currently in your  _pun_ session?"  
  
Riko winced. Then she thought of that joke book he had given her so many months ago during her farewell. It was now gathering dust under her bed. Or had possibly become a home for any insect that dared venture into Rakuzan's halls.  
  
"Um..." she started.  
  
Then Hayama behind her suddenly erupted into laughter. He contorted his body in his mirth, bending forwards as he gasped for air. The intense laughter was making him convulse and shudder, as he clutched his stomach. Tears came out of his eyes.  
  
Izuki and Riko stared at him, nonplussed.  
  
Hyuuga stepped forward with a threatening air, brandishing a fist at Izuki. They grappled and Riko joined Hayama in his laughter as she watched them.  
  
Izuki spluttered, "Ow, Hyuuga! Stop  _pun_ ching me for the _pun_ chiness of my  _puns_!"

"You're the one ' _pun_ -melling' me!"

Hayama shrieked in laughter and nearly fell to the floor.  
  
Riko was also laughing at them –  _she had missed even this ridiculous Seirin tomfoolery –_  when Mibuchi stepped up beside her and crinkled his eyes gently down at her. "Are these your Seirin friends, Riko-chan?"  
  
Riko stopped laughing to smile at him. "Yeah." She turned towards Hyuuga and Izuki still tussling with each other, and called to them, amidst Hayama's whoops of laughter, "Hey, Hyuuga-kun! It's time for introductions."  
  
Hyuuga quickly shoved Izuki away in disgust, then straightened up his spectacles. He cleared his throat, and said, "Yeah." He turned to look at her Rakuzan fellowship.  
  
The moment his gaze fell on Mibuchi, he stiffened.  
  
Riko blinked at his odd reaction. "...Hyuuga-kun?"  
  
He shuffled slightly, and cleared his throat again. Then he focused his gaze on Mibuchi. "You're Mibuchi Reo."  
  
Riko blinked, and leaned back in surprise. Mibuchi gasped, and his hand flew to his chest.  
  
"Oh, how did you know who I am?" said Mibuchi, his tone full of astonishment.  
  
Hyuuga sighed, and lifted a hand to adjust his spectacles in discomfort. "I was a...sort of fan. Of your shooting style. Tried to imitate it...and stuff," he mumbled.  
  
Mibuchi gave another loud gasp. " _Oh!_ I'm so  _flattered!"_ He lifted the hand from his chest, and laid it gently on Hyuuga's shoulder. "Thank you for being so appreciative of my shooting. It makes me so very happy."  
  
He winked at Hyuuga, his kind eyes twinkling.  
  
"Hey, hey!" Hayama interjected, jumping up and down. He was more hyperactive now that he had such a good laugh. "Do you know Ei-chan and I too? Besides Reo-nee?"  
  
He spread his arms in an exaggerated grandiose manner. "We're the famous Uncrowned Kings!"  
  
Nebuya nodded enthusiastically, then did the same gesture as Hayama. "Hell  _yeah_  we are!"  
  
The second-years around Riko blinked in unison at the duo with their spreadeagled arms.  
  
"Uncrowned Kings." Hyuuga's eyebrow twitched. "You sound so proud of it..." Then he muttered under his breath, "Unlike a certain idiot I know of."  
  
"Eh...yeah. We've heard of you, I guess," Koganei decided to interrupt. He ignored them to turn to Riko with a wide grin. "Riko!"  
  
He hugged her around the waist, pressing her arms to her sides, and lifting her bodily off the ground.  
  
"Hi, Koganei-kun," Riko managed to gasp.  
  
When he put her down, he took a step back to scrutinise her. "Say, Riko! You look chubbier now! The food must be so  _good_ in Rakuzan." He turned to Mitobe. "Don't you think so too, Mitobe?"  
  
Dead silence fell on the group.  
  
Mitobe was shaking his head frantically in reply. Hyuuga and Izuki started to inch away from the group.  
  
Koganei frowned, and tilted his head at Mitobe. Then he turned back to Riko and started to say, "You-"  
  
But he was interrupted by an exceedingly excited Hayama. "Riko was thinner in Seirin?" he exclaimed. He sounded extremely joyful. "Where are the pictures?"  
  
Koganei turned to him, with a frown. "What-"  
  
And he was interrupted for the second time when Riko whacked him on the head. "What are you, my nosy grandparent?" she hissed at him.  
  
"The food  _is_ good!" Nebuya decided to pipe up.  
  
Mibuchi lay a hand on his forehead, and said to Nebuya, "That's not the point, Ei-chan..."  
  
" _Anyway,_ " Koganei said loudly, over all the commotion. He rubbed his head, and looked at Riko with a glare and a pout. "I was  _going_ to say, that you look  _so much_ prettier now! Sheesh, coach..."  
  
"Doesn't matter," said Riko with gritted teeth.  
  
"Where are the pictures?" Hayama interjected with a yell, stomping his foot. Riko turned to him and started hitting him repeatedly on his head. He really was so  _horrible._  
  
Amidst Hayama's "ow"s, Tsuchida decided to be the sensible one since Hyuuga and Izuki had moved away quite a bit from the group. "Can we get back to introductions?"  
  
Riko stopped hitting Hayama, and they both froze in their positions.  
  
Hyuuga stepped forward, and cleared his throat. "Right," he said, with all the authoritativeness of a captain. Although he had moved nearly five feet away in fear earlier.  
  
He smiled at Riko. "Let me introduce you to our first years." He turned to call them over. They had been loitering by the benches behind the second year group when Riko had approached.  
  
"Hey, first years! Come over here!"  
  
____

  
When all the commotion had been happening, Mayuzumi had stood to the back of the group, observing everyone. He had smiled as he watched Riko's joy at being reunited with her Seirin friends. He had remembered Kiyoshi's earlier words as Hyuuga professed admiration for Mibuchi's shooting style.  
  
He had repeated Kiyoshi's words in his mind once more, when Hayama acted like the immature, uncouth dumbass he was.  
  
 _Why does he even want to provoke Riko like that._  
  
Then, it had come to the introductions.  
  
He stood stonily behind the group, barely listening as the introductions rolled on. He knew no one noticed he was there, except perhaps for Riko. She was always attuned to where he was.  
  
Then Kuroko Tetsuya stepped forward for his turn.  
  
The moment Mayuzumi laid eyes on him, he felt bile rise to his throat. Nausea, and the desire to puke swept over him. His stomach felt like it was a festering cesspool of pus and mucus. The sight of him right in front of Mayuzumi had immediately evoked memories of when Mayuzumi had spoilt the Rakuzan DVD player. He had played Kuroko Tetsuya's Teikou matches over and over again, trying to carve his every movement, his every decision deep into his mind.  
  
It had been like trying to scratch out his brain using his bare fingernails.  
  
Every time he finished re-watching a Kuroko Tetsuya match, Mayuzumi had felt like digging out his eyeballs. The repetitiveness and the dullness of watching and re-watching the same matches incited a deep reaction of disgust within him.  
  
Which was why he had stood back earlier when the Seirin-Seihou match had gone on.  
  
But he couldn't avoid Kuroko Tetsuya now. He was right in front of him. In the flesh.  
  
"Good afternoon, Aida Riko-san," Kuroko said politely to Riko. He bowed to her. "My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."  
  
Riko swayed minutely where she stood as she looked at Kuroko. Only Mayuzumi noticed this. For he had been observing Kuroko with laser-like concentration.  
  
 _Just like I normally do every time I re-watch your videos, Kuroko Tetsuya. I can't take my eyes off of you. It's too deeply ingrained within me to observe your every move. To watch whatever you do. With complete concentration._  
  
Riko swallowed. "Hi, Kuroko-kun," she said, her voice in a slight waver. "It's very nice to meet you too." She had turned pale.  
  
Kuroko merely smiled at her, not noticing her discomfort. He bowed to her again. "I hope I won't disappoint Seirin's former coach later in the finals."  
  
"Yeah," rasped Riko.  
  
"Heh, we definitely won't disappoint you!" Kagami interjected with a grin. He held out a fist, and bumped it against Kuroko's. "This guy here's awesome! He plays like nothing you've ever seen before!"  
  
Riko flinched violently at his words.  
  
Mayuzumi had enough of merely standing by. He took a step forward, and smirked. "So I suppose everyone forgot about me again, huh."  
  
Everyone turned to look at him,  _really_ look at him in surprise. Riko paled even more as Mayuzumi spoke up.  
  
Kuroko turned to him, his eyebrows slightly raised. "Oh. My apologies. Please," he said, gesturing for him to continue introductions. He quirked a polite smile at Mayuzumi.  
  
 _Hmph. So polite._ He thought of Akashi.  _I guess not every Miracle is like that guy._  
  
"I'm Mayuzumi Chihiro. Third year. And the fifth starting regular of Rakuzan's basketball team," he said, stretching his smirk wider.  _Too bad I still don't like you, little first year._  
  
"So you're our senpai!" Hyuuga said. He ran his fingers through his hair, and grimaced in apology at Mayuzumi. "Sorry. I can't believe we forgot all about a senpai. That was really rude of us."  
  
"Don't worry about it," said Mayuzumi, smirk still intact on his face. "It happens to me regularly."  
  
Kuroko blinked. "Does it?"  
  
"Yeah," said Mayuzumi. He turned to direct a steely gaze at Kuroko. "But I always do something about it.  _Always._ "  
  
Kuroko looked slightly taken aback at Mayuzumi's intense look on him. But he merely nodded and smiled. "Thank you for speaking up and letting us know of your presence, Mayuzumi-senpai. It would have been rude to keep ignoring you."  
  
Then Riko suddenly interjected breathlessly, "Hyuuga-kun, when are the finals?"  
  
Everyone turned to look at her. She was breathing quickly, and heavily. Her face was still white as a sheet.  
  
"Uh..." Hyuuga said, scratching his head. He glanced at the digital clock hanging above the court. "In about forty-five minutes' time."  
  
Then he suddenly blinked, and turned to look at Riko seriously. "Oh yeah. I can't believe I didn't mention this earlier. Guess who we're up against in the finals."  
  
"Who?" said Riko, still sounding breathless.  
  
"Kirisaki Dai Ichi."  
  
Riko stared at him. She looked like she was struggling to form words, and she started blinking rapidly. "Kirisaki Dai Ichi?" she said, in a slight whisper.  
  
"Isn't that just the worst?" Koganei spoke up in a whine.  
  
"Holy crap, you guys are up against Hanamiya Makoto!" exclaimed Hayama. He dissolved into cackling laughter. "Shiiiit, you guys are so  _screwed,_ " he continued, giving them his usual devilish look. His eyes were glinting mischievously.  
  
"Who the hell do you think you are, saying something like that!" Kagami interjected angrily. "I don't care if you guys are all 'Uncrowned Kings', we'll definitely win no matter what!"  
  
Hayama had stopped laughing. His face contorted in enmity. "Hey! What did you say to me! I'm your senpai, you know!"  
  
"Kotarou-chan is not wrong, though," said Mibuchi, trying to smoothen the burgeoning quarrel. "You will face a very difficult time against Hanamiya Makoto. And from what I heard about last year..." he trailed off.  
  
"Yeah." Nebuya had suddenly turned serious. "Watch out, guys."  
  
"We know," said Hyuuga, with determination. "But we'll be okay." He turned to look at Riko, and laid a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be okay, because we have Kagami and Kuroko now. They're our aces."  
  
He turned away from Riko to smile at the pair, although his hand remained on her shoulder. "They can go against anyone, even the Uncrowned Kings and the Miracles."  
  
"Hyuuga-kun..." Riko began weakly.  
  
"And another thing," said Hyuuga over her. He turned back to her, to look directly into her eyes. "We'll be okay because we're not just fighting for ourselves, or for each other."  
  
Mayuzumi could see that the fiery resoluteness had compounded in his gaze. "We're also fighting for Kiyoshi."  
  
"Yeah!" Koganei started yelling, and then he was echoed by Izuki, Tsuchida, Kagami and the other first years. Kuroko was smiling at Riko, and Mayuzumi could see sturdy determination in his eyes too.  
  
 _Interesting,_ Mayuzumi thought.  
  
"Yes, Aida-san," said Kuroko to her. "I never enter a match half-heartedly. It is always with the thought of my teammates, my friends, when I play in a match."  
  
His smile widened marginally. "Please observe us later. We will win with all the spirit we have for each other."  
  
"Yeah!" said Kagami, pumping his fist in the air. "You said it, Kuroko!" He grinned at Riko too.  
  
Mayuzumi was looking at Kuroko meditatively, a slight frown marring his usually smooth brow.  
  
Then Hayama interjected, "Spirit? What the hell. How's  _that_ going to help you?" He hooted in derisive laughter. "You guys are up against friggin' Hanamiya Makoto. The guy has  _skill._ "  
  
"Dammit, you're really pissing me off!" said Kagami furiously. "We have skill too!"  
  
Hayama was about to snarl at Kagami when Nebuya said, "Just make sure you don't underestimate him." Mayuzumi saw Riko biting her lip in worry.  
  
"Yeah, we know," said Hyuuga, nodding at Nebuya. He turned to Riko with a reassuring smile. "But anyway, watch us later, Riko." He lifted a hand to clap her gently on the shoulder.  
  
"We'll make both you, and Kiyoshi, proud." His voice was full of conviction and certainty.  
  
Riko merely nodded.  
  
 _I want to watch you too, Kuroko Tetsuya,_ Mayuzumi thought. He was still looking at Kuroko, piercingly, penetratingly.  _I'll watch how you fight against an Uncrowned King. In the flesh._  
  
____  
  
  
The forty-five minutes passed by quickly to Mayuzumi. He didn't notice the minutes slip away beneath him, dropping away like dead flies against a broken windshield. He had been too busy looking at Kuroko, watching him, studying him, raking his eyes over his every movement.  
  
Every quirk in his eyebrow, seared in Mayuzumi's memory. Every twitch in the corner of his lip, burned into Mayuzumi's corneas.  
  
Kuroko Tetsuya was much,  _much_ more mesmerising to watch in real life, than in the videos.  
  
So the minutes ticked by speedily. And then it was time for the finals of the preliminaries to start.  
  
Mayuzumi followed the Uncrowned Kings and Riko to the spectator stands right behind the Seirin benches. He sat quietly in the seats next to Riko, and watched as Hanamiya Makoto sauntered onto the court.  
  
"Ah," Hanamiya said when he saw the Seirin players. His lips stretched into a languid smile.  
  
Mayuzumi thought his expression looked like a Cheshire cat's sinister grin.  
  
" _Such_ a lovely reunion, Seirin," said Hanamiya, his voice as smooth as silk. He glanced around the players, and his smirk stretched wider. "Is Kiyoshi still in the hospital?"  
  
"That's too bad." He clucked his tongue in mocking pity. "I just  _hope_ he's getting better."  
  
"Shut the hell up," said Hyuuga with gritted teeth. Izuki went up next to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. Then, he turned to face Hanamiya.  
  
"We're going to beat you," he said calmly, with narrowed eyes. "For Kiyoshi's sake."  
  
"Heh." Hanamiya laughed liltingly, melodically. "May the  _best_ team win, then." He widened his eyes in exaggerated earnestness.  
  
"Teams! Get in position!" the referee called, interrupting them.  
  
Hanamiya gave them a sneering smile, then turned away to get into position. Hyuuga narrowed his eyes, and got into position too.  
  
The referee blew the whistle.  
  
As the match went on, Mayuzumi's eyes were fixed on Kuroko. He didn't even notice Kagami's raw power, or Izuki's precise passes.  
  
He was transfixed by Kuroko.  
  
Because Kuroko was phenomenal to watch in the flesh. He knew anyone watching would find his moves puzzling and confounding. But to Mayuzumi who knew the ins and outs of misdirection like Kuroko did...he knew he was watching a master at work.  
  
It made his hands curl into tight fists on his lap. He didn't even notice Riko next to him shifting uncomfortably. She had placed a hand on her forehead, where it covered an increasingly furrowed brow.  
  
 _I'm different from him,_ Mayuzumi told himself.  _I'm faster than him, stronger than him. A brighter basketball star._  
  
 _I'm better than him._  
  
His fingernails were cutting half-moon dents into his palms.  
  
Seirin had been doing well for the first quarter. They were gaining in points, keeping up with Kirisaki Dai Ichi.  
  
And then the second quarter commenced. Kuroko sat out in this quarter. There had been no need for his additional offensive power when Seirin had been playing so well.  
  
But Kirisaki Dai Ichi started playing differently. They started playing with deceptive violence.  
  
Mayuzumi didn't react as he watched Kagami, the red-headed idiot, nearly explode in anger on the court. Hyuuga, the supposed unshakeable captain, hadn't been able to make a single shot.  
  
Mayuzumi scoffed quietly to himself.  _What sort of playing is this. It's only the second quarter and they're already so high-strung. They've completely forgotten all about their words earlier. They're playing right into Hanamiya's hands._ He glanced past Riko to the other Uncrowned Kings. They were all watching the match silently, with slight frowns on their faces.  
  
Hayama was glancing periodically at Riko from the corner of his eye. He looked sombre, a stark difference from his usual cheerful demeanour. Well, towards other people at least. Not to Mayuzumi.  
  
Mayuzumi turned back to watch the match.  
  
The first half ended with Seirin behind by fifteen points. They were wiping off their sweat as they trudged towards the benches next to the court. Gloomy expressions decorated their faces. Kagami looked ferocious.  
  
Next to Mayuzumi, Riko suddenly stood up and she strode directly towards the Seirin benches in front of them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hayama trying to follow her, but he was immediately halted by Mibuchi's gentle hand.  
  
Mayuzumi remained seated, watching Riko. She walked right up to Hyuuga and Kagami. They turned to look at her.  
  
Hyuuga began, "Hey, Riko-"  
  
She slapped both their faces.  
  
 _Well_ , Mayuzumi thought. _That seems appropriate._ He smirked as they both spluttered from her sudden act of violence.  
  
"That really hurts, you know," whispered Hayama to Mibuchi.  
  
"What the hell are you guys doing!" Riko berated them lividly. "You're letting the opponent get to you too much!"  
  
"He's trying to fucking injure us!" yelled Kagami in reply. Then he blinked and quickly backtracked. "Uh...I mean..."  
  
"Riko," interrupted Hyuuga wearily, rubbing his cheek. "Don't you think this just..." He swallowed, then closed his eyes. He took a deep breath. "Don't you think this...reminds you of last year?"  
  
When he opened his eyes, he looked deeply distressed. "To me, it does...too much."  
  
"Of course it does," said Riko, glaring at Hyuuga. "You can't believe the number of times I have thought about that match. I will probably never forget that match...ever."  
  
Then she turned to glare at everyone. "But it doesn't change anything. No matter how much you think about it. What you  _all_ need to focus on, now, is  _this_ match. Focus on winning this match the proper basketball way. Focus on winning it for your teammates, your comrades on the court."  
  
She took a deep breath. "When you focus on that, you'll be able to overcome any underhanded, vile thing that  _horrible_ guy comes up with. Because you'll be fighting for something bigger."  
  
Her face broke into a smile. "You'll be fighting for people you care about."  
  
Everyone fell into contemplative silence at her reminder. Mayuzumi saw that the distress in Hyuuga's eyes had cleared as he looked at Riko.  
  
 _She has the same effect on me too,_ Mayuzumi thought. He watched Riko, feeling a soft calmness drift over him.  _Even though her words are so unbelievably naive._  
  
His lips curved into a small smile as he looked at her.  
  
"Thank you, Aida-san," interjected Kuroko.  
  
Mayuzumi immediately felt the calmness disappear. His face contorted into a frown, before becoming smoothly inscrutable again.  
  
Kuroko was smiling at Riko. "You took the words right out of my mouth." He turned towards the other Seirin members of the team.  
  
"We will win. We will win, because we fight for each other," he said. "Like Aida-san has said so eloquently." His voice resounded strongly, in faith and determination.  
  
"Yeah!" said Kagami, jumping up and down in his reinvigoration. He immediately flinched when Kuroko jabbed him in the ribs. "Oi! Kuroko!"  
  
"You have to calm down, Kagami-kun," Kuroko said.  
  
"Why you..." said Kagami, advancing on him threateningly. As they scuffled, Riko placed a hand on Hyuuga's shoulder, then turned to look at him, Mitobe and Izuki.  
  
"Play a game that will make Teppei proud," she said to them with a smile.  
  
"We will," replied Hyuuga strongly. Riko gazed at him, and they exchanged a look of understanding.  
  
The referee signalled for the second half to begin. Riko nodded at everyone again, then turned to walk back towards her seat next to Mayuzumi. He heard her release a low sigh as she sat down.  
  
The referee blew the whistle.  
  
When the second half began, Mayuzumi saw that Kuroko had come into the match again. He played with even more breathtaking magnificence from before. It was obvious that Riko's words had had a profound effect on him. He elevated the level of the team when he played with them. He  _shone_ as a shadow, as convoluted as that sounded.  
  
 _But I'm still better than him,_ Mayuzumi thought. His nails continued digging into his palms.  
  
Seirin was gaining back its momentum. The scores were now neck-and-neck. Kirisaki Dai Ichi had abandoned their violent play, and were now trying to implement a strategy. But Kuroko was too experienced for them, too prognosticative for them. He changed the flow of the game. He successfully intercepted Kirisaki Dai Ichi's passes, throwing the ball effortlessly to Kagami, who made shot after shot. Hyuuga had started to shoot from the outside. This time, his shots were going in.  
  
Mayuzumi felt like his palms were going to bleed. His skin was cracking, and breaking.  
  
The third quarter ended with Seirin being only two points behind.  _Thanks to him._  
  
Riko was starting to be more lively, chattering with Mibuchi, Hayama and Nebuya about the match. She was gesturing wildly and animatedly, acting out some of Hyuuga's excellent shots. A wide grin was plastered on her face.  
  
Mayuzumi ignored their loud discussion. He was frowning, and starting to feel a stinging pressure in his palms.  
  
Deep inside him, an insecure, quavering voice suddenly spoke up.  _Could I...could I have changed the flow of the game like this? Like Kuroko Tetsuya did?  
  
Yes, _ he told himself.  _I am different. I am better._ He could hear the obstinateness clearly in his declarations.  
  
He let out an imperceptible sigh.  
  
Seirin came into the fourth quarter with their eyes blazing and spirits high. Mayuzumi knew they were almost certain they could overturn the game. He knew that  _they_ knew they could win. They played magnificently for the first few minutes.  
  
But then, Kagami started losing speed.  
  
His jumps started getting shorter in height. He became slower to react, slower to defend, slower in receiving passes. Then Hyuuga, Izuki and Mitobe became slower too.  
  
Mayuzumi's eyes widened slightly in realisation.  
  
 _The Seirin-Seihou match._  
  
Kagami had played for that entire game. Seirin had needed his firepower to beat one of the three Kings of Tokyo. They had needed him against Seihou's strong defence. The second years as well. They had played for the whole game too.  
  
And they were all now paying the stamina price.  
  
 _They didn't have a coach to tell them not to make such an inexperienced mistake,_ Mayuzumi thought.  _They didn't have a coach to tell them to sub Kagami out no matter what._  
  
He glanced at Riko next to him. Her face was pale, eyes glued to the match.  
  
Seirin were just barely holding on, thanks to Kuroko still making astounding basketball plays, and allowing Seirin to be flexibly offensive. It worked for a short while.  
  
And then Hanamiya started making shots.  
  
His shots were beautiful. They didn't have the graceful fluidity or elegance of Mibuchi's outside shots. But the flexibility and ease at which he made the shots made Mayuzumi think of an equestrian with complete control over his horse.  
  
Hanamiya had complete mastery over his shooting.  
  
The last few minutes of the match showed Izuki desperately passing to Kuroko. He hit the ball towards Mitobe, who tried to dribble into the zone. He was immediately blocked by a Kirisaki Dai Ichi player. Mitobe quickly threw the ball back to Kuroko, who was nearer the basket.  
  
Kuroko didn't even attempt to shoot.  
  
He held the ball, his eyes darting around the court for a free player. But everyone was marked very closely by other defenders, even though Kagami futilely waved his arms to receive the pass.  
  
Kuroko faltered. He turned towards the basket, making as though to shoot. Then he suddenly stopped, shaking his head imperceptibly. He turned away from the basket, and looked around desperately for another player. Just as Kagami broke free and he was about to throw the ball to him, it was suddenly smacked out of his hands.  
  
Hanamiya looked at Kuroko with a smirk. " _Too bad_ ," he said, his voice as sweet and smooth as dripping honey.  
  
He immediately turned to grab the ball rolling away from Kuroko, and dribbled it all the way to his side of the court. All he did was a jump shot, and two points went to Kirisaki Dai Ichi.  
  
Mayuzumi's hands had slackened from their grip. The weight in his chest had lifted the moment he saw Kuroko's fumble.  _Yes, that's right,_ he thought.  _I am better after all._  
  
 _I can shoot._

He remembered that in all of the videos he had watched, Kuroko had never made a single shot. And he still couldn't.

When the buzzer finally resounded around the gymnasium, signalling the end of the game, the scoreboard had shown the numbers  _92_ and  _85\. 92-85_ to Kirisaki Dai Ichi.  
  
Seirin had lost.  
  
  
____  
  
  
Akashi had been standing in his spot on the viewing balconies watching the match as it unfolded. His hands had periodically tightened and unclenched in their crossed arms position.  
  
They tightened whenever Seirin made beautiful basketball plays as they yelled encouragement to each other.  
  
They unclenched whenever Seirin made an inexperienced fumble, and Tetsuya had to step in to correct the mistake.  
  
His arms were now relaxed, and hanging by his sides.  
  
 _So, Tetsuya. This was what you wanted to show me. Pathetic._ He turned around, and started to walk in the direction of the gymnasium's exit.  
  
 _All you did was show to me that I was right all along. I am absolute. Victory is always certain for me._  
  
His lips curved into an exquisite smile.  
  
 _It is certain for me because I rely on hard skill and concrete logic._  
  
He was about to walk through the door when he was suddenly interrupted by a voice. A familiar voice from the past.  
  
"Akashi-kun!"  
  
Akashi turned around, and faced Satsuki and Daiki. Daiki was glaring at him. His arm was tugged by Satsuki as she dragged him towards Akashi.  
  
Satsuki stopped in front of Akashi, panting heavily from the effort of lugging Daiki. "I'm so surprised to see you here!" she said breathlessly. "And happy!"  
  
A smile broke out on her face.  
  
Akashi nodded at her in greeting. "Satsuki." He turned to nod at Daiki as well. "Daiki."  
  
Daiki merely scoffed in response. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his basketball sports jacket and glared at Akashi.  
  
"What are you doing here, Akashi-kun?" enquired Satsuki with her eyes crinkled in joy.  
  
Akashi let out a quiet breath. "My basketball colleagues were interested in observing this match. I merely decided to accompany them."  
  
 _And I obtained my answer,_ he added to himself.  _Chihiro most definitely improved only through constant practice. Constant practice out of duty to develop his skills. I was right._  
  
Satsuki was nodding cheerfully at his answer. "We finished our match this morning! Touou is the winner of our block!" She gestured towards the courts below them, where Seirin and Kirisaki Dai Ichi were bowing to one another. "I dragged Aomine-kun here to watch Seirin's match but...Tetsu-kun..."  
  
She trailed off. Her cheeriness dissipated, and she looked down to the floor. Her hand fell limp by her side.  
  
Daiki had still been glaring at Akashi. Then he said, "That was some match, huh." His frown deepened. "Hanamiya's a total bastard."  
  
Akashi nodded. "Yes."  
  
"Seirin was horrible though," drawled Daiki. "And Tetsu's wasting his skill. He didn't improve at all since middle school." He scoffed, and looked away with a frown. "And that other guy, that Kagami? What a loser. He's pathetic, he's so weak I can beat him in ten seconds flat-"  
  
"If you don't mind, Daiki," Akashi interjected. "I have to leave now."  
  
"Ah, of course, Akashi-kun!" said Satsuki, her head snapping up from where it previously hung. "It was really lovely to see you again!"  
  
Akashi merely nodded. He turned to walk through the door again.  
  
Then Daiki said, "Akashi."  
  
Akashi paused.  
  
Daiki waited until Akashi turned to look at him. Then he cracked an arrogant, cocky smirk. "I'll see you in the Interhigh." His smirk broadened and his eyes narrowed. "And let me tell you...I'll win for sure."  
  
Akashi looked at him for a moment. _Foolish. It is Rakuzan that always achieves certain victory._ He turned away, and started walking again.  
  
"We shall see," he said calmly in farewell.  
  
 _Tetsuya is out,_ Akashi thought as he strode towards the gymnasium's exit.  _That means there are four remaining. Four potential competitors._  
  
Akashi smiled. He allowed a little excitement to show in his eyes.  
  
 _We shall see who Rakuzan will compete against in the Interhigh finals._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There were several reasons why I chose Kirisaki Dai Ichi. 
> 
> Anyone upset by this change from the manga just sound out below and I'll provide an explanation. :D


	20. Aftermath

The high-pitched screech of the train running on its tracks sounded distant to Riko. So were the soft murmurs of the other passengers around her. She was leaning her head sideways against the window with her eyes closed. The pane felt smooth and cold to the touch.  
  
She was on a train back to Kyoto with Mayuzumi and the Uncrowned Kings. They all sat in one booth together, Riko next to Mayuzumi, and opposite them, Hayama in between Nebuya and Mibuchi.  
  
Riko didn't register even the boys so close to her. She was visualising the match, Seirin's loss. That  _heartbreaking_ loss. It reminded her of last summer.  
  
She scrunched up her eyes as visions of the match filled her mind. It was playing over and over again, refusing to leave her in peace. The numbers  _92_ and  _85_ swirling around in her thoughts.  
  
And Hyuuga's look.  
  
His eyes flashed in her mind. She turned her head to face the window, leaning her forehead against it and scrunching her eyes even more.  
  
He had looked so broken. So full of despair. And yet, as he panted heavily and wiped off the sweat on his forehead with a forearm, she could tell he was trying to keep up a strong facade. She could tell he was trying to hide his dejectedness because he felt it was his duty as captain.  
  
He was hiding it very admirably, even though she knew just how much a win in that match would have meant to him. What it would have meant to all of them.  
  
The rest of the Seirin team weren't hiding it that well. Kuroko had disappeared right after the bowing formalities. Mitobe wasn't looking at anyone in the eye, even though Riko had wanted to look into his gentle eyes one last time before heading off. Izuki had looked calm as usual, but a deep sadness was evident in his entire body posture. And Kagami had emitted such an aura of rage that it looked like he wasn't hearing anything around him.  
  
 _Why did this happen?_ Riko had thought to herself desperately.  _They worked so hard. They practised so much. I could see it. They put so much effort into this. Why?_  
  
And then, deep, deep inside her, that voice had spoken up, the one that sounded like a violin twang.  _It's because they didn't have a regular coach._  
  
Riko couldn't even say anything to that.  
  
She had then strode up to Hyuuga and the other boys (minus Kuroko), trying to think of something to say. Her tongue, however, was stuck. She couldn't comfort them, because she herself was in need of comforting. Even though a frantic desperation had gripped her whole being, imploring her to just say something, anything at all.  
  
Instead,  _Hyuuga_ had been the one to comfort her. He had cracked a smile – she couldn't even guess how much effort it must have taken him – and said to her, "Ahh...well, we lost after all." She had seen him swallow, beads of sweat falling down from his neck to the ground. "But it'll be okay, Riko."  
  
He had lifted a hand, and gently clapped her on the shoulder. "We'll be fine. We'll just...we'll just focus on the next competition. Practise more. Learn more skills."  
  
It had sounded as though he was trying to force optimism into his words.  
  
Riko had shaken off Mayuzumi and the Uncrowned Kings, telling them to head off to the train station first. Akashi had apparently already left. He had merely sent a single text message to Mibuchi informing them that. In that moment, Riko couldn't bring herself to be concerned about Akashi, or to feel angry at him for being so solitary.  
  
She had wanted to console her Seirin boys, somehow. But all she could do once they got back to the locker room was sit with them in silence. She had forced water bottles into their hands, fussed over them, bought them energy bars and sports drinks. Throughout it all, she had a bitter taste in her mouth, knowing that she was only faking things. Knowing that all of them were trying to pretend things were okay.  
  
But things couldn't be okay, because everything felt like a wasted effort. A useless effort.  
  
Her time with them was over all too soon. Mibuchi had texted her to come to the train station or else they would miss their train. Then all the Seirin boys had thanked her profusely for coming, for supporting them.  
  
The fake cheeriness in their tones was heartbreaking to her. But all she could do was return her own fake smile.  
  
She didn't get to see Kuroko one last time before she left. Truthfully, she had been relieved. She wasn't sure if she could handle his presence. It would physically remind her of her internal conflict, and she was already so bogged down with the heartache from Seirin's loss.  
  
The loss was  _still_  weighing on her.  
  
In their booth, Hayama wasn't helping things. He was currently discussing the match with Mibuchi and Nebuya. Both looked uncomfortable.  
  
"It's like Akashi says," said Hayama. "Skill and strategy are always on top. Nothing else can beat them."  
  
"Yeah..." Nebuya replied, lifting a hand to rub his neck. "Well, I think Seirin is not too shabby. They played with a lot of...motivation." There was a slight tone of wonder in his voice.  
  
Mibuchi nodded. "They had a lot of spirit. Even though Kirisaki Dai Ichi was clearly more experienced, even without all the vile underhandedness."  
  
"Yeah, well, spirit won't do anything, right. It should only be skill...and strategy," Hayama repeated. "Those are the only two things that matter." He sounded slightly uncertain, and his eyebrows were in a slight furrow.  
  
After a moment, the furrow disappeared. "Like Akashi always tells us," he said again, more strongly. "He's always right."  
  
Mibuchi and Nebuya exchanged looks with one another. Mibuchi glanced at Riko from the corner of his eye.  
  
"There were so many mistakes Seirin made," Hayama continued. "The shooting guard couldn't make any shots in the first half. If he had, Seirin might've had a chance. And then they made a  _huge_ mistake, not subbing their ace out in the earlier match. I mean, talk about the stamina drain. And they didn't even have anyone else equally competent to take his place. If you want a strong basketball team, even the reserve players have to be strong. You can't just rely on one guy to carry the whole team."  
  
He leant back against his chair, crossing his arms. "This is a national tournament. It'll be such a joke if a team can get through all the way because of only one guy. It'll be ridiculous. Rakuzan spends so much money and resources into research, and recruiting, all just to ensure that we will always,  _always_ get to the finals. This is something a new school can't replicate, even if one of its players is  _reasonably_ talented-"  
  
Riko abruptly stood up, interrupting him. "I'm going to get a drink from the vending machine," she said. Her voice sounded distant to her, it was so falsely confident.  
  
Hayama opened his mouth to speak, but Riko merely brushed past him. She strode towards the section on the train containing the vending machines. Once she reached one of them, she inserted a few coins. Her fingers were trembling slightly. She was fighting to keep them steady.  
  
She was fighting to keep the heartache down.  _How can I feel so strongly for this?_ she thought to herself, a little angrily.  _I'm not even a part of Seirin anymore. I wasn't there throughout their training. I shouldn't feel the disappointment so much._  
  
 _No._ She closed her eyes, her fingers still poised over the coin slot.  _It's because I wasn't there, that I'm feeling so much. Could things have been different if I had helped them? And of all the schools..._  
  
She scrunched up her eyes.  _Of all the schools...it had to be Kirisaki Dai Ichi._ _Where is the justice? It's so unfair. They lost against a team which played with no sportsmanship at all._  
  
She remembered Hyuuga's words.  _'We're also fighting for Kiyoshi.'_  
  
She remembered her own words.  _'You'll be fighting for people you care about.'_  
  
She remembered Akashi's words.  _'You should correct your ridiculously naive behaviour.'_  
  
All of that made her feel such an intense whirlpool of emotions, of heartache, disappointment and anger- a sudden anger at  _Akashi_ , at her circumstances, that she could barely remain standing still. Her fingers started trembling even more against the slot. Her knees felt weak.  
  
 _I hate this,_ she thought angrily.  _I hate this so much. Get me away from this. Make all this disappointment disappear. Make my conflict disappear. I don't want to feel this anymore. I don't want to experience this anymore. Please, anyone, please just make everything disappea-_  
  
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a soft rap on her head. Her eyes flew open, and she turned around to see Mayuzumi.  
  
He was looking at her with a slight frown on his face. Then he quirked a smirk more gentle than his usual. "Are you going to get a drink or not? You're holding me up," he quipped.  
  
"There are so many other vending machines around here," snapped Riko. "Just use any other one."  
  
The frown came back on his face. He sighed, and placed his hands into his pockets. As he leant against one of the vending machines, he said, "Come on. You can vent at me all you want. You hate that Seirin lost, right?"  
  
Riko deliberately didn't answer him immediately. She punched the button for her drink selection with more force than necessary. It was only after the drink clattered down the machine and she picked it up, that she turned to him.  
  
"Seirin lost, Chihiro. They can't even go on to the actual Interhigh. Hell, they can't even go on to the final league."  
  
Mayuzumi looked at her meditatively for a moment. Then he said, "Well...that's the nature of basketball tournaments. It's a zero sum game. There's got to be one winner and one loser. I'm sure even someone as naive as you understand that."  
  
"I do understand that," Riko snapped at him. "It's just...of  _all_ the opponents Seirin could lose to, it had to be that bastard, Hanamiya Makoto."  
  
Mayuzumi nodded. "That guy's a bastard alright. But...you have to admit. Seirin was too inexperienced to win against such a formidable school like Kirisaki Dai Ichi."  
  
"Of course I could see their inexperience," Riko replied. "I just...I had this insane hope that everything could be okay somehow."  
  
"You know things don't work that way in real life, right," said Mayuzumi drily.  
  
"Shut up," she said acidly. "I know all that. I  _knew_  all that. I can't help being human and wanting the impossible, okay?" She sighed, and turned away from Mayuzumi with a frown.  
  
 _And since I have helped you...Seirin will just be completely powerless even if they had gotten through. Because they would have faced us eventually,_  she thought bitterly.  
  
There was a silence. Riko delved deeper and deeper into her thoughts and disappointment during that short period.  
  
Then Mayuzumi broke it. "You know, I think you just need to think like a hermit crab." Riko turned back to him immediately.  
  
"...what." She could only blink in confusion.  
  
Mayuzumi sighed. "It's something I read." He took one hand out of his pocket to gesture as he continued, "A hermit crab abandons its old shell for a bigger one. So similarly, you have to shed any old fears and doubts, and look forward to what comes next."  
  
Riko frowned. "But the hermit crab leaves the old one because it got too big for it, not because it intentionally wanted to leave the shell."  
  
"Yeah...well...it still adapts to the new shell, doesn't it? It has to, in order to survive."  
  
Riko fell silent in thought.  
  
"And also," Mayuzumi went on. "The crab starts to treat the new shell as its home. It casts away the old shell, and learns to live in the new one."  
  
There were a few moments of silence. Riko was still quiet.  She was ruminating on his words.  _What he's saying...I should know all that. It all makes sense._  
  
Then Mayuzumi smirked. "I think it might take a while before you can get into the mindset of the hermit crab though. After all, you aren't one, even if you are 'crabby'."  
  
His words broke the meditative silence that had fallen over Riko and made her laugh. The tension ebbed slightly from within her. She shoved him jokingly in irritation. "What are you doing, trying to imitate Izuki-kun?"  
  
Mayuzumi merely shrugged, the smirk still on his face. "His puns are awful. Mine is at least slightly better."  
  
Riko smiled. She turned away, thinking of Mayuzumi's words.  _He's right,_ she thought.  _Well, I always knew that. But...hearing the words said out loud makes things a little better._  
  
She reached up, wanting to grasp the ice lolly stick around her neck.  _I have to remember to keep up my motivation._  
  
Mayuzumi was saying, "I don't really know anything about losing in sports, because I've never participated in any actual matches, but I just think you're too obsessed with your old schoo-"  
  
Riko interrupted him with a gasp. Mayuzumi blinked at her sudden reaction. His hands flew out of his pockets and he took a step towards her.  
  
"What? What is it?" he asked with slight urgency.  
  
"My ice lolly stick!" replied Riko. She was frantically running one hand around her neck. "It's gone!" She stopped groping at her neck, and started looking around on the train floor. "Where is it?"  
  
Mayuzumi blinked. "Oh." He placed his hands back into his pockets. "The one I gave you? That's what you're so panicky about?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Riko asked desperately. She continued looking frantically for the stick on the ground. "I must've lost it somewhere, in Tokyo, or here..."  
  
Mayuzumi sighed. "I mean you're making too much of a big deal out of it. I'll just give you another one." He shrugged.  
  
Riko stopped looking for it. "Okay..."  
  
But even as they moved back to their booth, Riko carrying her drink with her, she couldn't help feeling the crushing weight of disappointment fall back down on her. She knew she was being ridiculous about that little item, it was so inconsequential and mundane.  
  
And yet, that stick was so important to her, it was her crutch in Rakuzan. It reminded her of everything she stood for. She couldn't help feeling a strange sense of foreboding, as though something bad was going to happen.   
  
____  
  
When they finally reached Kyoto, Riko was still subdued. Mayuzumi threw curious glances at her. Riko knew that even if he tried to ask her why she was still acting this way, she wouldn't have been able to express it in words.  
  
His words  _had_ made her feel better. But it wasn't enough. Riko was feeling too much for everything to be fine after just one conversation, after just one hermit crab analogy. She was feeling conflicted, disappointed, frustrated and angry. She was feeling the need to pick herself up, to remain strong. She was feeling the need to crumple, and to succumb to her vulnerabilities. She was caught in a dichotomy, unable to move between one side or the other. Just like she was caught between two worlds, two time periods.  
  
Contrary to what she had thought, by the time they reached Rakuzan, basketball practice was already over. The evening sun shone down on the Rakuzan compound, casting a deep orange glow on the empty school buildings. The emptiness seemed to reflect Riko's state of mind.  
  
They went to collect their luggage from one of the storage rooms in the Rakuzan gym. Since it was already so late, Mayuzumi and Nebuya had immediately grabbed their bags and turned to leave the school grounds. Mayuzumi had lightly brushed the top of her head with his hand, in a gesture of comfort. Naturally, Riko had swatted at it irritatedly.  
  
Then Nebuya had moved to do the same, only that he practically ruffled her hair. She had kicked him in response.  
  
Nevertheless, their actions were a temporary distraction, a temporary reprieve. Once they left, however, the bitter feelings came back to her, and she could only watch their backs as they retreated from her.  
  
In the storage room, Hayama rushed forward to pick up her bag before either she or Mibuchi could do so. They both stared at him as he walked out of the room towards the female dormitories without a glance at either of them.  
  
Mibuchi had looked at Riko kindly, before saying, "Riko-chan, don't think too much about today, alright? It's a loss, which is always horrible, but...well, Rakuzan is still in the Interhigh. We'll definitely win the tournament, for sure. Then you can be happy that you contributed to our win."  
  
Riko tried to smile in response.  
  
He then turned and walked towards the male dormitories with a wave. "You can believe in Rakuzan's strength! Sei-chan is a wonderful captain, he will lead us to victory."  
  
At the mention of Akashi, a familiar anger had immediately swept through Riko. It was petty, it was irrational, she knew. But she couldn't help it. She wanted someone, something to pin all her current problems on. Akashi was the most obvious scapegoat.  
  
She had then turned to follow Hayama towards the female dormitories. He was uncharacteristically silent as they walked together, towards her room. Once she reached it, she opened the door for him, and he placed her bag on the floor next to the door. She dropped her backpack next to it. Hayama hung around in front of her door, looking uncertain and doubtful.  
  
Riko forced a smile at him, and said, "Thank you, Hayama-kun, for bringing my bag here for me. That was really thoughtful of you."  
  
He merely shrugged in response. He lifted a hand to scratch his neck.  
  
"So I'll see you during practice tomorrow morning, then," she told him. She moved to close the door.  
  
But just as she was about to close it, she heard him say, "Aw...hell..." She paused in her movements and glanced at him in confusion.  
  
Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist, and started pulling her with him. She spluttered as she felt herself dragged along with him, walking towards...wherever he was heading.  
  
"Hayama-kun!" she exclaimed.  
  
But as usual, he didn't listen to her. He continued dragging her with him like a rag doll (just like countless times before) through what seemed like the whole school, until they finally reached the male dormitories.  
  
Riko's jaw dropped.  
  
"Hayama-kun, what are you- where are you taking me!"  
  
He didn't seem to care or listen to her even though she tried to struggle and shout with increasing volume. All the commotion obviously made a lot of noise, and boys started poking their heads out of their rooms. The moment they saw Hayama dragging Riko through the corridors, they let out loud guffaws and wolf-whistles.  
  
" _Hayama_? What the hell?"  
  
"Dammit, you're with a  _girl?_ That is  _so_ weird!"  
  
"Hayama, you're the ugliest bastard I've ever seen, how did you pull off this miracle..."  
  
"You're such an asshole, man! How did you even get such a cute girl-"  
  
"Everyone shut up or I'll slap all your faces," Riko immediately cut off all the ribbing with gritted teeth.  
  
The boys fell silent. A lot of gulping could be heard. They retreated back into their rooms quietly.  
  
Riko was about to exasperatedly tell Hayama off, when Mibuchi poked out his head from his room, just as they both stopped in front of, what Riko assumed, was Hayama's room. Apparently, they lived next to each other.  
  
"Riko-chan? I thought I heard your voice."  
  
Riko sighed, and smiled at Mibuchi. "Yeah...Hayama-kun dragged me all the way here for...I don't even know what." She turned to glare at Hayama, but he was ignoring her. He had finally let her go to drop his luggage off and rummage for something in his room.  
  
Mibuchi frowned, and opened his mouth to start berating Hayama. Then Hayama emerged from his room...holding a skateboard.  
  
Instead of berating him, Mibuchi blinked. So did Riko.  
  
"What are you going to do with your skateboard, Kotarou-chan-" Mibuchi started saying.  
  
At the same time, Riko said, "Hayama-kun, why do you have a skateboard-"  
  
But Hayama cut both of them off by grabbing Riko's wrist again and pulling her with him. As Riko spluttered in indignance, Mibuchi called after them, "Be careful with her, Kotarou-chan! And stop dragging her everywhere!"  
  
Even though Riko protested all the way, Hayama ignored her until they reached a streetball court outside the Rakuzan grounds, the same court where she had bumped into him playing basketball in frustration. Then, he had finally let her go.  
  
He stood in the middle of the court facing her, his skateboard under one arm. He was looking at her with a petulant expression.  
  
Riko let out a deep sigh. She rubbed her wrist in annoyance, and said, "Why on  _earth_ did you bring me here, Hayama-kun?"  
  
He continued looking at her for several seconds, his eyebrows still in a petulant furrow. Then he said, "Make a request, any request."  
  
"Huh?" Riko blinked in confusion.  
  
He sighed, and lifted his free hand to scratch his head. "I'm pretty good with a skateboard, okay? So just...request any stunt you want."  
  
Riko blinked again.  
  
Hayama's frown deepened at her silence. He looked away from her, then threw his skateboard to the ground. The wheels made a clatter in the silent court, with only the two of them there.  
  
"Look," he growled. "For example..." He jumped onto the board, rolling on for a while and then agilely leapt up. He flipped the board as he was in the air, then landed on it perfectly, continuing on smoothly.  
  
The moment he did that, Riko let out a tiny gasp. Her eyes widened slightly.  
  
At her sound, Hayama looked more encouraged, and he quirked a small grin. "I can do more, too," he said smugly. "Like...uh..." He glanced around the court, then spotted a small flight of steps to Riko's left.  
  
She watched him as he picked up the board and strode towards it. He climbed up the stairs. Once he was on the raised platform, he jumped onto the board. He rolled on it for a while, then leapt up with it once he reached the stairs leading down. In the air, he twisted the board until it rotated all 360 degrees, then landed on it impeccably just as he reached the lower ground.  
  
Riko let out a louder gasp, and a laugh escaped her.  
  
Hayama was grinning widely at her reaction. "Want to see more tricks with the stairs?"  
  
"Yeah," replied Riko, slightly breathless in her excitement.  
  
He walked up the stairs with a slight swagger, then got on the board once more. He rolled on it for a while. When he reached the stairs, he jumped up again. He skidded down the railings on the board, letting out a loud screech, which reverberated around the court. Once he reached the end of the railings, he jumped again, then landed on the ground, rolling on it with the skateboard effortlessly.  
  
"Wow, Hayama-kun!" said Riko, impressed. She clapped. "I've never seen skateboard stunts in person before."  
  
"That's 'cause you never met me," he replied cockily.  
  
Riko rolled her eyes in response.  
  
"Now come on!" he said impatiently. "Request something already!"  
  
"Okay," she said, feeling more cheerful.  
  
She requested many outlandish stunts but Hayama could perform them all perfectly. He truly was adept with the board. She continued requesting more and more, until the skies went dark, and the day turned to night. The streetball court was now only illuminated by bright fluorescent lights. It was still only the two of them in the court, the clattering and rumbling sounds of the skateboard wheels resounding in the air around them.  
  
Riko was sweating, because the summer nights were so humid and so warm. It was made worse by the glaring fluorescent lights shining on her. But she didn't care. She was laughing as she watched Hayama perform his stunts with increasing swagger. She thought he was so ridiculously childish.  
  
"Okay, okay," she said, after laughing at another of his stunts. "Try doing a dunk with...uh..." She threw a glance around the court, then spotted a basketball in the corner. She strode towards it, picked it up, then walked back to Hayama.  
  
"Do a dunk with this," she said, handing the ball to him. "And as you land, I'll kick the board towards you. You have to land on the board and roll on it, alright? That's the rule."  
  
"No problem," replied Hayama with a cocky grin. He thumbed his nose, then took the ball from her. He leaned down in a dribbling stance, preparing to move towards the hoop. Before he started to move, he turned to look at her. "Watch me, okay?"  
  
"Of course," Riko said with a laugh. She adjusted the skateboard with her foot, preparing to kick it towards the hoop in time.  
  
Hayama started dribbling, then he moved towards the hoop. The ball was thumping hard on the ground, letting out the sounds so beloved to Riko's ears. It sounded beautiful, with Hayama's amazing dribbling prowess.  
  
The moment he reached the hoop, he leapt up, executing a magnificent dunk. He was hanging on the hoop for a brief second, and Riko kicked the board towards him. Just as the board reached him, he landed perfectly on it. But the trajectory of the board was such that it had continued rolling, and Riko had accidentally kicked it with too much force.  
  
Hayama fell as the board slipped out beneath him. It flew towards the wall of the court, hitting it with a loud clack, then fell to the ground.  
  
Hayama was laughing on the ground, holding his stomach. His shoulders were shaking in his laughter. Riko was also laughing, where she stood a few metres away from him. A sense of relief had come over her throughout the evening, as she concentrated on making Hayama perform more and more outlandish stunts. She was completely absorbed in her amusement and fun as she watched him. Adrenaline was pumping through her, and she felt light-hearted.  
  
Light-hearted, for the first time in so many hours. She didn't know how she could laugh this much, so soon after feeling such crushing disappointment.  
  
After a while, her laughter calmed down somewhat, and she walked towards Hayama. He was still hooting childishly in laughter at his total failure in performing the stunt. When she reached him, she let out a tired smile, and extended a hand to help him up.  
  
He grinned at her, and took it. Just as she started pulling, however, he suddenly jerked his hand, pulling her down. She felt herself fall out of balance right on top of him.  
  
The act caused her to laugh all over again. She lay there on him, their limbs entangled together, just laughing. It had been such a small action, but because she had been filled with so much mirth, the minor deed elicited complete hilarity for her.  
  
Both of them continued laughing for a while. Riko felt her stomach start to hurt, and she was convulsing uncontrollably. Tears were coming out of her eyes.  
  
Hayama always made her feel this way.  
  
Several long minutes passed, and then Riko finally sighed, feeling the final vestiges of laughter and mirth leave her. She smiled at his face below her.  
  
"Thanks, Hayama-kun."  
  
"Don't sweat it, Riko." He quirked his usual impish grin back at her. "I can probably teach  _you_ how to skateboard one of these days."  
  
Riko let out a laugh. "Yeah. That'll be really nice."  
  
Still smiling, Riko sighed again, trying to remove the final iotas of laughter from her body. She moved to get up, half-sitting on Hayama, struggling to get off him. Then Hayama suddenly grabbed her arm.  
  
"Wait," he said.  
  
Riko noticed that he was careful with her left shoulder. He had been careful with it throughout their uncontrollable bouts of laughter. It made her feel oddly touched.  
  
Hayama reached into his pocket, and pulled out something. It was hidden in his hand.  
  
Riko raised her eyebrows at his action.  
  
He took her hand, then placed the object on her palm. She gave him an appraising look, then turned to look at it.  
  
It was a whistle.  
  
Riko's eyes widened. She turned to look at Hayama. He had stopped smiling devilishly, and was running his fingers through his hair. His eyebrows were furrowed, and he was glancing away from her.  
  
"What's this for, Hayama-kun?"  
  
His fingers continued running through his hair for a moment. He was still not meeting her eyes. Then he said, "I bought this for you...in Tokyo. Before we left. And...uh...you need something like this as coach, right."  
  
Riko continued staring at him. After a few seconds, she said, "You do know that Rakuzan has hundreds of whistles, don't you? Maybe even thousands-"  
  
"I know!" he growled in response. "I just...uh..." He sighed. Then he finally met her eyes. She could see they were filled with determination. "I mean, you're Rakuzan's coach. Assistant coach, I mean. So this whistle will help you in your duties. You know, when you...do coach stuff."  
  
He flailed a hand. "I mean, assistant coach stuff. You know. Especially when you're coaching all of us. In Rakuzan."  
  
"Of course it'll be in Rakuzan, where else would it be?" Riko asked confusedly.  
  
"Exactly! In Rakuzan," replied Hayama emphatically. "Because you're  _Rakuzan_ 's coach." He ran his fingers through his hair frustratedly. " _Assistant_ coach, I mean.  _Rakuzan's_  assistant coach."  
  
"Okaay..." Riko said slowly.  
  
"Gah!" He scrunched up his eyes. "I don't know, alright, just leave me alone!"  
  
Riko laughed again. He stopped scrunching his eyes, and quirked a smile at her laughter. "Well..." she began. Then she lifted a hand, and punched him on the shoulder. "Thanks again, Hayama-kun."  
  
He merely widened his grin in response.  
  
She moved to get off him, but he made her pause again as he said, "Plus, every time you blow that whistle, you can think of me!"  
  
Riko rolled her eyes. "That will be such a  _huge_ distraction from my duties, Hayama-kun."  
  
"That's the intention!"  
  
They both finally stood up. Hayama went to pick up his skateboard, and then they both started walking out of the court, back towards the Rakuzan school grounds. As Riko walked leisurely next to him, he turned to her, looking devilish again.  
  
"You know how I said you can think of me whenever you blow the whistle? Weelll..." his smirk widened, and his eyes glinted mischievously. "Remember that pop rap song 'Whistle' by Flo Rida-"  
  
He yelped as Riko cut him off with another punch to his shoulder. She had turned bright red at his words.  
  
"Get your mind out of the gutter, Hayama-kun!"  
  
" _Owww,_ Riko!"  
  
But despite her intense irritation with him, Riko felt like her heart was a little lighter as she walked next to Hayama towards Rakuzan. She felt like she was ready to tackle anything in the world again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't understand Hayama's allusion, you're too young to be reading this. ಠ_ಠ (all those swear words I've used...)
> 
> Also, apologies for the 'crabby' pun, I couldn't resist. Hope it wasn't too out of character for Mayuzumi. XD


	21. Wayward Emotions

The irritating beeps of the alarm sounded, blaring out in the room like an incessant drill. It took Riko all of three seconds to spring out of bed and punch the clock silent. Her bed covers left in a tangled heap on her bed, she strode to her laptop straightaway and powered it up. It took a moment to switch on, casting a dim white light across her darkened room. Then she went immediately to the Interhigh's official website and looked at any recent news on the competition.  
  
More than a week had already passed since Seirin's devastating loss in the preliminary finals. Riko had been in high spirits since the evening with Hayama in the streetball court, he had cheered her up that much. She went to each practice session full of optimism. It felt like a bubble of joy was floating within her, giving her strength.  
  
But like any bubble, this was only temporary. It was only fleeting, delicately passing through and then bursting, calling forth ugly reality.  
  
After a few days, the ball of energy he conferred to her when she had so sorely needed it faded away. She was left feeling fatigued and drained at the end of every school day.  
  
She was expending energy trying to remain calm and professional as she trained the Rakuzan players. Trying to maintain a facade of cheeriness. The constant upkeep of a mask sapped at her energy like a parasite that had latched onto her soul.  
  
A loss was still a loss. Nothing could change that fact. She had accepted it. But accepting it didn't mean getting past it was going to be easy.  
  
On top of that, she kept feeling the stress over her contribution to Mayuzumi's training, the misplaced –  _is it really? –_  sense of betrayal towards Seirin. She felt it every time she entered the gym and spotted Mayuzumi practising misdirection in a formation. She felt it every time she laid eyes on Akashi. A mantra ran through her head whenever she looked at his perfect, symmetrical face:  
  
 _It's all your fault. You knew, and you still made me do it._  
  
She coped with her pangs of frustration and anger by obsessively keeping track of Kirisaki Dai Ichi's matches. The four winners of the blocks had been Kirisaki Dai Ichi, Shuutoku, Touou and Senshinkan High. In the final league, Kirisaki Dai Ichi had lost against Shuutoku and Touou but won against Senshinkan. Senshinkan had lost against all three schools. Thus Kirisaki Dai Ichi had moved onto the Interhigh.  
  
The match-ups for each round of the Interhigh had already been released. In her obsession, she had even ignored Rakuzan's match-ups (she knew that there was zero possibility of Rakuzan losing in the first few rounds) in favour of tracking Kirisaki Dai Ichi's. She discovered that if they were successful each round, they would face Kaijou in the third round.  
  
Kaijou was a formidable opponent. Riko knew rationally that they would most likely win that match. But she found herself wishing maliciously for Kaijou to lose. It was a deep and profound hope that festered in her heart, growing like a tumour with every article she read on Kirisaki Dai Ichi.  
  
She wanted revenge, plain and simple. She knew that Rakuzan's basketball was superior to Kirisaki Dai Ichi in every way. And she looked forward to the time when she could see Hanamiya Makoto's smirk wiped clean off his face when Hayama stole the ball from under his nose.  
  
 _Win against Kaijou, you bastards. Get as far as you can in the competition until you finally meet us. Then I can snip off all your precious spider webs just as cruelly as you stole away Seirin's chance. Just as cruelly as you stole away Teppei's chance to participate in the competition._  
  
Riko narrowed her eyes as her pupils flitted over Kirisaki Dai Ichi's name on the website. A sudden anger rose within her. She slammed her laptop shut, letting out a sound that was deafening in her silent room. She was breathing heavily, frowning deeply.  
  
 _Come and face us. I will show you the meaning of complete, utter despair._  
  
Riko sat through her classes that day still in bitter anger, but trying to maintain a calm expression lest Hayama noticed. Then it was time for basketball practice. The training camp had long been over for several days, but practice was still intense since they were approaching the Interhigh. She strode towards the gym with Hayama chattering about some inane subject by her side.  
  
Practice had returned to being a routine, a humdrum daily occurrence, but Riko was anything but her usual self. An ugly feeling of bitterness was already leeching on her heart, weighing her down.  
  
They both entered the gym to see Akashi already instructing some other players. Riko's eyes narrowed the moment she saw him.  
  
"Unfeeling robot," she muttered under her breath.  
  
"Huh?" said Hayama, turning to look at her.  
  
Riko inhaled deeply, then let the breath out in a whoosh. "Nothing, Hayama-kun." She turned away from him and walked towards the third-stringers to start training them.  
  
As she corrected their mistakes and instructed them, she felt her anger and frustration niggling at her. She found herself sighing more and more and feeling more impatient at their mistakes. The irritation was spreading rapidly within her, deepening her scowl with every minute. Eventually she started barking out instructions, making a hapless third-stringer gulp as he looked at her face.  
  
That was definitely cue for her to switch to the first string. Riko sighed as she walked over to the other side of the gym, then lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose.  _Bad idea reading about that school every morning._  
  
But she couldn't help it. She had to know that they would eventually reach a stage where she could show them who was undeniably better. She had to know if she would get the chance to–  
  
 _Crush them until they feel the same pain Seirin does._  
  
At the thought, her scowl deepened and she felt a vindictive thrill pass through her spine. She stood to the side of the gym with crossed arms, watching the first-stringers practise their formation.  
  
Nebuya dribbled the ball towards the three-point line, then immediately passed the ball to Mibuchi at his left. An opponent tried to block his shot, but Mibuchi was only feinting. He threw the ball behind him, and Mayuzumi had been there. He tapped the ball towards Hayama, who was across the court and nearer to the basket.  
  
Hayama's eyes gleamed as he received the ball and he turned to make a drive into the zone towards the hoop.  
  
Nebuya started saying, "Wait, Kotarou, there're too many defenders! Pass the ball back to me–"  
  
But Hayama was too intensely focused on his fun. He let out a childish peal of laughter as he dribbled past three defenders and then proceeded to dunk the ball through the hoop. Once he landed, graceful as he usually was, he turned around and jabbed a thumb at himself.  
  
"Wasn't that awesome or what?" he said smugly.  
  
"You're hopeless," Nebuya growled at him. "Next time pass it back to me, okay? Akashi would never approve of that kind of reckless move."  
  
"It's only for fun..." Hayama sulked. Nebuya merely shook his head, and turned to talk to Mayuzumi and Mibuchi.  
  
Riko walked towards Hayama, who was still standing below the hoop, and crossed her arms in front of him.  
  
"Hayama-kun, what was that?" she said with a disapproving frown. "You shouldn't be playing around when the Interhigh is just around the corner."  
  
"Jeez, Riko, get off my case," he replied, rolling his eyes. "I know, alright, I'm taking it really seriously too."  
  
"Doesn't look like it," retorted Riko with gritted teeth. "Why don't you try to show it in your actions."  
  
Hayama leaned back slightly to raise an eyebrow at her. "What's got  _your_ panties in such a twist." Riko bristled. But before she could reprimand him further, he cut her off by saying, "Anyway, more importantly!"  
  
He quirked a grin at her, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Are you using that whistle I gave you?"  
  
Riko felt her frown smoothen at his question. She blinked at him. "Um...yeah..." She lifted the whistle hanging around her neck. "This is the one you gave me."  
  
"Alright!" Hayama's grin broadened and he punched his fist into the air. "So? How do you find it?"  
  
Riko stared at him for a moment. Then she said, "It's a whistle, Hayama-kun, I don't think it's going to give me any special powers."  
  
"That's not what I mean!" Hayama rolled his eyes again. "I  _mean,_ do you feel like it...I don't know. Like it sort of, makes you feel good as an assistant coach in Rakuzan? Like...it makes you happy coaching with it, here?"  
  
Riko blinked at him again. Then she turned to look at the whistle, lifting it up to her eyes. "I...guess...?"  
  
"Great!" Hayama nodded satisfiedly. "That's all I wanted to know."  
  
Riko continued looking at the whistle for a few seconds. It was made of plastic and red in colour, merely an ordinary whistle. A mundane object, especially to her, who had grown up with many whistles lying around her house.  
  
Then the memory of that evening with Hayama suddenly flashed in her mind. Her frustration ebbed and she felt her lips curve into a smile. The feeling inside her; it was like crashing waves receding and changing into a smooth, undulating sea. She turned to look up at Hayama, still smiling.  
  
"Hayama-kun."  
  
He stopped bouncing on his feet and stretching his arms to look at her. She felt her smile widen.  
  
"...Remember to teach me how to skateboard sometime soon."  
  
Hayama blinked at her. "Of course I will! I was the one that said it, right?"  
  
"...Right." Riko continued grinning at him.  
  
Hayama turned away from her and started walking nonchalantly towards Mibuchi, Mayuzumi and Nebuya, stretching his arms all the while. Riko looked at his retreating back, still smiling fondly.  
  
 _I really am looking forward to it, Hayama-kun._  
  
She felt her eyes crinkle, then she cast her glance downwards arbitrarily and caught sight of his knees. Suddenly, she felt herself stiffen and her heart started pounding loudly in her ears.  
  
The sight of them made her sway where she stood. She started blinking rapidly, although her eyes were still glued onto his knees.  _No...why...did he still..._  
  
Anger rose within her again. All the ugly emotions came back. The tenuous relief cast by Hayama had been broken, it was so fragile and fleeting. Riko reached out and grabbed his wrist.  
  
He immediately squawked and turned around. "Whoah, what the hell?!"  
  
Riko ignored him and started dragging him.  
  
"Riko, wait, wait up! What the hell's going on? Hey, Riko!"  
  
She dragged him by the wrist all the way until they reached Akashi talking to another first stringer. He turned to look at them, and displease immediately filled his eyes. He glanced at the first stringer and dismissed him with a single wave, then turned back to Riko and Hayama.  
  
"What is it. You are disrupting the rhythm of this practice session." He turned to pin a glare at Hayama. "Kotarou. You are supposed to be practising formations with the others."  
  
"I know," Hayama spoke up quickly. "Riko just suddenly–"  
  
"Akashi-kun," said Riko, cutting off Hayama. She was still tightly gripping him by the wrist. She used her other hand to gesture at his knees. "What is the meaning of this."  
  
She was speaking through gritted teeth. The anger was boiling, simmering within her and threatening to overflow into a shout.  
  
Akashi swept his gaze over Hayama's knees then turned to look at Riko again. "I don't comprehend your question. Explain yourself."  
  
Riko took a deep breath and glared back at Akashi. His gaze was oppressive as always, making her feel like she was trapped in a coffin. But she couldn't bring herself to care in this moment.  
  
"You made him run too frequently again, didn't you. After all I told you about the detrimental effects on his knees? Akashi-kun, how could you?"  
  
Akashi looked at her for a moment. In that moment, Riko felt her anger increase.  _How can he still look so calm? So expressionless?_ She really wanted to scream.  
  
"It was necessary, Riko. His speed wasn't improving. I naturally had to intervene for the sake of his improved performance by the Interhigh."  
  
"Akashi-kun! You–"  
  
"Riko, it wasn't distance running!" Hayama quickly spoke up. "It was just interval runs! It's fine!"  
  
Riko turned her glare on him. His eyes were wide in panic and worry. She felt herself grip his wrist even more tightly.  _I don't care, Hayama-kun. It's Akashi-kun, he doesn't treat people as people._  
  
"Hayama-kun, that's still running and will hurt your knees if you do it too much!"  
  
"Interval runs merely involve short, intense runs. There is time for recovery." Akashi's steely voice cut through Riko like a sharp, ice-cold sword. She slowly turned to look at him back again. He was still impassive, although his eyes had a hard quality. "More importantly, it is needed to secure high chances for victory in the Interhigh. Stop being so irrational and naive, Riko."  
  
 _Stop being so irrational and naive, Riko._ His words rang repeatedly through her mind. It brought back all the intense emotions she had been trying to get past since her visit to Tokyo. All the disappointment. All the anger. All the hurt, and all the confusion.  
  
"You can't just do this, Akashi-kun! You can't just treat people like they're tools!"  
  
 _You treated me like a tool. You put me in a position to choose between Rakuzan and Seirin._ Riko just knew he had manipulated her into helping Mayuzumi. It had to be manipulation, it was  _Akashi._  
  
 _You wanted to train him too,_ a more rational voice spoke up in her mind, but remained unheard in her intense frustration. She was feeling anger surge within her, overpowering any logical thought. It was like a blackhole, devouring any modicum of self-control she had left.  
  
"You're ruining the players, not helping them!"  
  
In her mind's eye, she saw Kiyoshi, lying on the hospital bed because of his knee and unable to participate in the Interhigh. The Interhigh, which Seirin couldn't even go on to participate in because of Kirisaki Dai Ichi. Kirisaki Dai Ichi, which had caused Kiyoshi's injury in the first place.  
  
Riko took a deep breath. She felt like she was stepping over an invisible line she had always drawn in all her encounters and arguments with Akashi. But she was so overwhelmed that she couldn't bring herself to care. She didn't care anymore if she crossed it.  
  
 _I won't let another of my players get injured again. Not because of Akashi-kun's selfishness. And especially not Hayama-kun._  
  
"I can foresee this better than you, because I can see it! You'll ruin yourself, and then you'll ruin all of Rakuzan!"  
  
The moment the words left her mouth, Akashi's eyes widened slightly. Riko saw anger fill his eyes. Then they slowly narrowed, forming a glare so penetrating and piercing that Riko felt her own anger shrink back. The look in his eyes revealed such white-hot rage and absoluteness that Riko felt like flinching. She felt like an insect trapped under a magnifying glass, about to be seared by the sun's rays.  
  
The entire gym had fallen silent. The tension was so thick and heavy, but Riko was completely focused on Akashi's eyes.  
  
"I secured you this assistant coach position, and now you're indicating that you are superior to me in this matter?"  
  
His voice sounded deadly to her. Still calm and even, but deadly nevertheless.  
  
Riko felt her breathing quicken, then she turned to look at Hayama. Hayama's eyebrows were furrowed, he looked lost and unsure of what to do. She could feel the sweat on her palms against his wrist.  
  
"You are henceforth no longer an assistant coach to Rakuzan's basketball team. It seems we don't have a need for your services anymore."  
  
Both Hayama and Riko turned back to Akashi with wide eyes.  
  
"You were unable to adapt to Rakuzan's standards or to see the practicalities of our methods," Akashi went on. "This indicates that you are clearly unsuitable for this position. Please leave the court immediately."  
  
Riko gaped at Akashi. Then she turned to Hayama. "Hayama-kun!"  
  
Even she could hear the desperation in her voice.  
  
"I said all this for your sake!" she continued. "Tell him that your knees are taking too much stress over this regimen! Make him see that if your knees are injured, you won't be able to perform–"  
  
"Riko." Hayama's voice was hoarse. He cleared his throat. "I...I agree with Akashi. I think he's right."  
  
His words ran through her mind like an unexpected squall. Devastating, but so quick she could hardly believe it had happened. Riko felt her grip on his wrist slackening. His touch was slipping away from her, like everything was slipping away from her now. She could feel herself blinking rapidly.  
  
"He's my  _captain,_ Riko. Of course I think his decision is correct." Hayama was saying something else but Riko couldn't hear him. A sudden ringing sound was in her ears. All she could do was look at Hayama. Look at him while feeling betrayed.  
  
"Hang on."  
  
Mayuzumi had stalked up to them but Riko didn't pay any attention. She was still looking at Hayama. She felt numb, like a block of ice had just taken root in her insides.  
  
"This is ridiculous, Akashi. You can't just eject someone like this." Mayuzumi's voice sounded like he was trying to contain his anger. "She's assistant coach, of course she would say her concerns about her players. I'm sure even you can understand that sentiment, Akashi."  
  
Akashi turned his gaze on Mayuzumi. "Are you defying me as well, Chihiro. If that's the case, then–"  
  
"No," Riko spoke up. Her voice sounded distant to her, like it was an echo. She tore her eyes away from Hayama and turned to look at Akashi. "Hayama-kun thought your decision was right. That means that I may have been wrong to try to force you to change it."  
  
"It's fine, Chihiro, I understand," she added when she saw him open his mouth. Dimly, she noticed that Nebuya, Mibuchi and even Shirogane-sensei had also strode up to them. When did they approach? "I accept that I have been relieved of my duties."  
  
Then she turned around, and walked out of the gym. All the while avoiding Hayama's eyes.  
  
____  
  
  
Akashi strode to his room later that night, hearing his shoes clicking on the wooden floors. His eyebrows were in a deep furrow and his eyes perpetually narrowed. He flung the door open then proceeded to loosen his school tie irritatedly. When he turned around to throw it onto his bed, his eyes fell on the chess board next to the shogi board.  
  
A wave of the familiar disquietude came over him. He lifted a hand to his forehead, feeling his frown deepen. All of a sudden, the memory of Atsushi defying him flashed in his mind. The petulant expression, the rebelliousness in his eyes.  
  
Akashi felt rage sweep through him. The feeling was like a lighter had been thrown into a pile of firecrackers. He picked up the black queen and looked at it.  
  
The rage intensified.  _My strategy. It had been perfect. It had been flawless._  
  
He suddenly felt like scattering all the chess pieces and placing them in new positions. Any position, as long as the previous arrangement was completely obscured, lost forever in the dregs of his memory. Like a forgotten treasure chest, deep in the ocean's abyss. He lifted a hand, about to sweep it across the board, across the pieces.  
  
Right before he made contact, however, he paused. His hand remained hovering next to a black pawn.  
  
He swept a calculating gaze on all the pieces on the board, searing the position of each piece in his mind.  _I don't need the queen for this strategy to work flawlessly. I never needed it to begin with._  His hand dropped to his side. He continued looking at the board.  
  
He replayed Seirin's match in his mind as he looked at the board, analysing their every move and mistake. After a few seconds, he scoffed.  _So many deficiencies in their methods. So many limitations._  
  
The rage inside him was starting to fade away. He felt his brow smoothen and his face returning to its usual impassiveness.  
  
 _And they still lost, using such methods._  
  
He felt himself smile. Turning away from the chessboard, he carelessly flung the black queen he had still been holding towards the side of the board. It fell, and rolled around for a moment.  
  
 _Victory is certain for me, even without the queen._  
  
He started unbuttoning his shirt, and walked towards the shower.

He ignored the fact that while his rage had subsided, his restlessness hadn't.


	22. Cracks in a Bond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, REALLY sorry for this late update! rl commitments and whatnot. Hope the plot developments in here will be enough as an apology. ^_^"

Riko had never experienced this before. The loss of this coaching job left her feeling like she had lost an important limb. For several days in Rakuzan, she walked through the corridors as though her insides had been carved out.  
  
She had received an email from the scholarship department of Rakuzan a few days after that incident. The contents were not encouraging.  
  
 _Dear Aida Riko,_ it said,  _It_   _has come to our attention that you did not perform satisfactorily at coaching Rakuzan's basketball team and have since been relieved of that position. In order to maintain our funding of your studies, we request that you coach in a different capacity. Unfortunately, if you are not able to perform this request..._  
  
Riko's scholarship funding would be revoked. How did her life at Rakuzan get so monumentally screwed up? Once again, she was inclined to blame Akashi.  _It is because of him,_ she thought.  _S_ _ince day one he has been making my life here difficult._ Her rational side countered that thought, insisting that it had been her fault for provoking Akashi in that manner. Seirin's loss had made her more unstable than usual, causing her to lash out.  
  
Normally, Riko would bounce back from such an ordeal. Coaching in athletics was such that she had no time to wallow for long. Thus she had built up mental resistance against obstacles like this. However, her source of strength had always been her friends. Back in Seirin, the faces of Hyuuga, Kiyoshi, Izuki and the rest of her boys were always enough to bring her back from the lowest depths. It wasn't to say she didn't have anyone to perform that similar role in Rakuzan. She had Mayuzumi, Mibuchi, Nebuya.  
  
It was the loss of Hayama's friendship which made things really unbearable. He was with her in every class, every activity (mainly because he had been so annoying to begin with, sticking to her like a leech). Without realising it, she had come to rely on him as a source of strength. How could she ever be happy in Rakuzan now? The Shirtless Incident, the evening with the skateboard, his whistle... they gave her bursts of euphoria. Now they were knives, stabbing her in an already festering wound.  
  
"Hayama's doing fine," Mayuzumi told her as they sucked ice lollies during lunch break together. "Why are you worrying about him anyway? You should be worrying about  _yourself._ What are you going to do about the scholarship thing?"  
  
"I don't know," she replied, biting her lip. "I can't really think about it right now." Hayama was weighing on her mind. When he took Akashi's side over hers, it had broken something between them. Something pure and untouched, like the first snowfall in winter. A form of support, he had been for her. Now, what was he?  
  
"Well, you should," said Mayuzumi, irritatedly. "You're gonna be in trouble if you can't find another sport."  
  
"I  _know._ "  
  
"Hayama'll be perfectly alright. We have to focus on the upcoming games anyway. Quarterfinals are coming up soon." Rakuzan had blazed through the first, second and third rounds. As Riko expected, they faced no problems. When Kirisaki Dai Ichi went up against Kaijou, Riko still held that vindictive hope that they would lose. Kaijou had won, however. So Riko could not experience the satisfaction of watching Rakuzan decimate Kirisaki Dai Ichi. She had thought the payback would have made things better, especially in her screwed-up life at that moment.  
  
"That's right," said Riko. "So you guys will be missing school again?"  
  
"Yup. For a day to get through the Quarterfinals and Semis. Then we have about three days back in school before we go to Tokyo again for the finals."  
  
There was no doubt that Rakuzan would reach the finals. Inwardly, Riko felt a pang at not seeing Hayama for so many days. Why did she feel lonely? It wasn't like they were on speaking terms.  
  
After the lunch break, Riko went back to her classroom. She poked her head into the class, saw Hayama lying face down on his desk. She had never seen him so subdued. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she went to her desk, sat down. He didn't move. Throughout classes, Riko kept wanting him to kick her chair, pull her hair, throw paper balls at her. All the things he used to perform so naturally. The things that used to annoy her to the point of screaming. He did nothing.  
  
When the bell rang school to a close, she made a decision. She would talk to Hayama, even if it would remind her of his betrayal. The silence, she couldn't stand it. Even if she couldn't trust him like before, it would be better than this weird  _thing_ between them.  
  
Chasing after Hayama, she pulled his shirt to stop him as he strode out of the classroom. "Hayama-kun, wait!"  
  
He froze. His eyes darted to her, then flitted away. Riko went on, "Mayuzumi-kun told me you will be facing the quarterfinals soon." This conversation, it reminded Riko of the sensation of wading through thick mud. "I just...I want to wish you...good luck."  
  
Silence dragged on between them. Without looking at her, Hayama said, voice unnaturally high, "Oh. So Mayuzumi updated you on our progress. That's good." He shuffled on the spot. "Um...thanks for the wish."  
  
"Yeah. Can I...do you think...I could come watch the practice sessions? Before you head off for the Quarterfinals, I mean?"  _What was she saying?_ She was making things even worse between them, bring up such a subject when the betrayal was still so raw and recent.  
  
"Oh." Hayama winced. He was always so expressive. "I dunno. Akashi, he...er, sometimes we don't practice in the gym anymore. We go off-site to...other places, to practise. So it might not be so good for you to come..."  
  
"I see." Silence, again.  
  
Then Hayama cleared his throat. "So anyway, I gotta go. Practice, and stuff." He took her hand off his shirt, then released it as though it scalded him.  
  
"Yeah, of course," said Riko quickly. She linked her hands behind her back. "Do your best, Hayama-kun!"  
  
He gave her a brisk nod, turned to leave. Riko looked to the ground.  _Sure,_ she thought sarcastically,  _I'd be able to focus on coaching another team._ The crux of her motivation was gone. All she could think about now was the absence of Hayama in her life.  
  
All of a sudden, she saw his shoes in front of her. Looking up, she saw Hayama's eyes, wide and beseeching, right in front of hers. She heard his breathing, loud and ragged, felt it wafting over her face. His face was so close to hers, merely inches away. He opened his mouth as though to speak.  
  
The moment seemed to drag on for an age. His every breath like a clock ticking, or silver shadows cast by a setting sun. His eyes, they were trying to tell her something. No words came from his mouth. Only his breaths, each one brushing her face.  
  
Then he closed his eyes, bit his lip. He turned and ran away from her, footsteps echoing. Riko released a breath she didn't realise she had been holding. She crossed her arms, clung to her elbows. Maybe hugging herself would make her feel less lonely.  
  
Walking back to the dorms, Riko wondered what to do. She could coach baseball. She had some experience with it back in middle school. Or she could coach volleyball. Or swimming. Or any sport, really.  _But would I find anyone like Hayama-kun in any of those sports,_ crept into her mind.  _Would I be able to find anyone so capable of taking my mind off Rakuzan's unfair athletic standards like he can?_  
  
Then, a new voice came up:  _since when were you so dependent on Hayama-kun? You have other important people in your life, don't you? What's so special about him?_ It would do her good to move on. Hayama was always loyal to Akashi. She should not have expected him to be on her side.  
  
There should have been no 'sides' in a team. Yet somehow, she had driven a rift in the team, to the point that it had been her against Akashi. She had forced Hayama to pick a side. Was it her fault, then, that she lost him? This issue was so complicated, Riko's head spun. She shook her head, trying to clear it.  
  
She was about to enter the female dorms, then Nebuya called her, "Hey, Riko-chan!"  
  
Surprised, Riko faced him. "Nebuya-kun! Don't you have practice?"  
  
"Yeah, I do." Nebuya grinned. "Wanted to see you first, though. How...are you?"  
  
Riko avoided his careful gaze. "I'm fine! Don't worry about me! You should think about the upcoming quarterfinals."  
  
"Meh, it's gonna be a piece of cake. We're up against Senshinkan. No problem there. The one  _I'm_ interested in watching is Touou versus Kaijou! Kaijou was frigging skilled against Kirisaki Dai Ichi. Hanamiya had no chance against them."  
  
The bitter feeling of her lost chance at revenge swept through Riko. "Yeah. Kaijou's skilled."  
  
"Yeah, well, whichever the winner of the quarterfinals, it doesn't matter. Rakuzan's gonna beat them at the semis." Nebuya held out a fist. "You can count on it!"  
  
Riko forced a smile. "I know it, too! You guys are amazing." She bumped his fist. Suddenly, a warmth surrounded her and she realised she was being hugged.  
  
"Mibuchi wanted me to say this to you. And I want you to know this too. We're gonna win the Interhigh for you, Riko-chan," said Nebuya, voice muffled. "For both you and Kiyoshi. You both can't be there at the games, but believe me, we'll be thinking of you when we get the trophy." He pulled away from her, then ruffled her hair with a grin. "So you don't even need to care about not being there!"  
  
Riko's smile broadened. She nearly fell over with surprise at how natural and authentic her smile was. She thought she would never be able to smile that way again, since she lost Hayama as a friend.  
  
"Then I'll be counting on you, Nebuya-kun!" she said.  
  
____  
  
  
In the Rakuzan school gym, Hayama threw the ball towards the hoop, harshly and with too much force. It bounced off the rim with a clang which reverberated around the gym.  
  
"Shit, where the fucking hell is Ei-chan," he said, scowling. "Does he not want to practise our formation for the quarterfinals?"  
  
"Kotarou-chan, calm down," Mibuchi admonished. "He said he'll only take a moment." His hand was on Hayama's shoulder, as though trying to force calmness into Hayama's stiff body.  
  
A sigh came from Mayuzumi. Flicking his head to him, Hayama spat out, "What. You got a problem with me?"  
  
Mayuzumi met his glare with one of his own. "Not really. Except that you shouldn't take out your anger on the hoop." He narrowed his eyes. "Especially for something only  _you_ feel pissed about."  
  
"If Akashi finds out Nebuya's late to practice this close to the quarterfinals, he'll get thrown out of the team, for sure!" Hayama retorted.  
  
Mayuzumi snorted. "Oh, so now you're concerned when someone gets kicked out."  
  
A few beats of deadly silence passed. Mibuchi let out a tiny gasp, then quickly stepped between Hayama and Mayuzumi. An ugly expression took hold of Hayama's features.  
  
"The  _fuck_ did you say to me," he snarled, voice low.  
  
"If you want me to repeat it, I'd be glad to," snapped Mayuzumi in reply.  
  
"You fucking asshole—"  
  
"Hey, what's going on?" Nebuya's voice interrupted the rising tension. He came striding up to them, face confused.  
  
"You're late, Ei-chan!" Hayama whirled on him immediately. "Where the fuck were you."  
  
"Whoah, what's gotten into you?" said Nebuya, blinking in shock.  
  
"He's just acting like a stupid child," Mayuzumi interjected, voice still simmering with barely contained anger. "As usual."  
  
"Fuck y—"  
  
" _What_ is going on here," a new voice interrupted Hayama mid-lunge towards Mayuzumi. It was Akashi. He glared at all of them, ice-cold metal in his eyes.  
  
"Nothing, Sei-chan," Mibuchi spoke up, quickly. "We're just getting into formation now. Right, guys?" He looked frantically at the others.  
  
No one else said anything. Hayama shook himself off from Mibuchi and, with a muffled growl, went away to get into position. Mayuzumi scoffed, then did the same. Only Nebuya muttered an apology to Akashi before starting the practice.  
  
That was how practice usually went for Hayama. He snapped at everyone except Akashi and did all of his drills with a scowl on his face. With Mayuzumi, especially, he treaded the fine line between all-out fistfight and bickering constantly. Something about the asshole irritated Hayama. He was sarcastic and acted like he was better than the rest of the team.  
  
Most of all, the bastard could still hang around Riko like normal. That, Hayama knew, was the topmost reason which fed his aggression and made him punch his pillow at night.  
  
____  
  
  
The Interhigh was deep in the throngs of heated competition. Hundreds of weak teams had already been eliminated. The top two teams would be decided soon. The next day was the day of the quarter- and semifinals. The whole school was in a flurry of excitement. The school bell rang the end of school but it was overshadowed by students' discussions. As Riko went to the school gates, she caught snatches of their conversations.  
  
"Are you going to see the team off now?" a girl chatted to her friend excitedly.  
  
"Of course! Tomorrow's going to be a crucial day for us. It's the deciding games for who will go to the finals!" her friend replied.  
  
A pang went through Riko.  _I should be there with them,_ she thought. In the front gates, she saw players she recognised from the first string piling up their bags into the buses. The reserve players and the starting line-up would be going over to Tokyo that evening to prepare for the matches the next day. Spotting Mibuchi, she went over to the buses.  
  
"Hi, Mibuchi-kun," she said.  
  
He looked up, quirking a gentle smile. "Riko-chan! You came to see us off!"  
  
"Of course! I want to wish you all the best of luck."  
  
"Thanks, Riko," said Mayuzumi, going up to them. He smirked. "Don't think we need it though."

"He's right!" Nebuya interjected enthusiastically. "We're gonna win everything!"  
  
"You taught us well," Mibuchi added, still smiling kindly.  
  
Voice tight, Riko only nodded. Mayuzumi ruffled her hair, then went to get on the bus. After saying too-cheerful-sounding goodbyes, Nebuya and Mibuchi followed Mayuzumi. Taking a deep breath, Riko glanced around furtively, looking for orange hair. She spotted Hayama several metres to her left. For a brief moment, she locked eyes with him. He cut an isolated figure despite being surrounded by the reserve players. He had been looking over at their group, shoulders slumped and hands limp by his sides.  
  
Their eye contact only lasted a second. When she spotted him, he blinked, then turned away quickly. He ran towards the bus, getting on it. Riko stood there, the chatters of the students around her washing over her like a fog. She watched the buses until they left. In groups, the students filtered away, then only she was alone standing at the gates. The school's fluorescent bulbs lit up as the sky darkened. Only when the school became eerily silent, then she moved towards her dorms.  
  
In her dorm room, she took out her books, trying to distract herself with homework. Homework was so easy for her, however, that she had much time to ruminate about other things. She leant back on her chair, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Then her eyes brushed over a red, plastic whistle hanging by the side of desk.  
  
Immediately, a profound sense of loss swept over Riko. It was so strong, she gripped the edges of her desk desperately. She had to hold onto something, otherwise she would be flung somewhere else, like being in a typhoon.  _How can I return things to normal,_ she thought in desperation.  _Can things even go back to normal between us?_  
  
Hayama believing, wholeheartedly, in Akashi's methods: this was something Riko just couldn't accept. It struck a chord too personal for her. She had always known he had the Rakuzan mentality, but his betrayal of her crossed a boundary of some sort. It meant he was more concerned for victory than the condition of individual players, including himself. This was too fundamentally different from herself. How could he ever return to being an important friend, an important support, for her? The most they could now become were acquaintances, amicable strangers.  
  
This thought was, somehow, too painful for Riko to bear. Since when did he become so important to her? Anguished, Riko grabbed her phone, punched a number.  
  
A few beeps resounded before the other side picked up. "Hello?"  
  
Riko laid her forehead on her arms, phone pressed against her ear. Her breath leaving moist warmth on her skin, she breathed, " _Dad_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I don't think the Interhigh semis and quarters were on the same day in the manga, but it's gonna be like that for this fic.


	23. Difficult Decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can I say except - I'm extremely sorry for the lateness? Thanks for your patience and support. Considering three of the four main characters in here aren't main at all in the manga, your support has touched me deeply. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Riko's room darkened with elaborate slowness, as if someone was tiptoeing around dropping black velvet handkerchiefs over each set of furniture. Riko didn't notice. All her attention span was wrapped in the thin metal grasped between her fingers, and the familiar raspy voice of her father.  
  
She told him the whole story. It had been a laborous task — a string of words punctuated by deep, harsh gasps. Her father had been uncharacteristically silent until she finally stopped. With the back of her hand, she pressed her mouth.  
  
"Riko..." he said, after several moments. "After such a long time since we talked — I missed you so much my heart bled, Riko,  _literally —_ and I really thought you went AWOL...and yet you want to talk about a  _boy_?"  
  
The silence snapped like a brittle thread. "Dad!" Riko's exclamation was less a reprimand and more a sound of relief. She couldn't help the corners of her lips quirking upwards. For the first time, she felt glad for her dad's silliness.  
  
"Fine, fine," he grumbled on the other end. "So? Want me to go over there and punch some senses into this boy?"  
  
"Dad, stop with the sarcasm already. You know very well that if it's a matter of physical violence, I am completely capable of handling it myself."  
  
Her father sniggered, and Riko joined in.  
  
Then he sighed. "It sounds like you already know what this whole issue is really about. It's a matter of fundamental differences between principles. I can't help you. No one can. Only you and this Hayama idiot can work this out."  
  
"Yeah." Riko swallowed. "I just —" A pause. "I don't know if I can look past his beliefs, or rather, his value system. At least, ignore it enough for us to be friends again."  _Real friends,_ Riko thought.  
  
"Is it so important for you to have this guy's friendship? He sounds like a complete buffoon."  
  
"Yes!" The reply came quicker than Riko intended. "There was this one time — he told me that if I ever missed Seirin, I could seek him out any time. And he's cheered me up so many times in Rakuzan. And yes, he's annoying — but he kept me from feeling lonely just by the sheer obnoxiousness of his presence. Now, though..." She couldn't continue.  
  
"I see." Her father's voice sounded funny. "So you've missed Seirin a lot?"  
  
"Of course! Why wouldn't I? All my friends are there. Without Hayama-kun now, it's become a lot worse." Riko lay the red whistle on the palm of her hand. It fit snugly, like it belonged there.  
  
Her father said, "But Hayama holds principles too different from you to ignore, isn't it? And these principles — they're reflected by all of Rakuzan?"  
  
"Yeah, I suppose it  _is_ a Rakuzan thing. That's why it's becoming so hard to settle back in here. I mean, if I can no longer be comfortable around Hayama-kun, how can I possibly be happy? He's been part of my happiness." These last few words were but a whisper.  
  
A long pause. "Riko...seeing you like this. It only confirms the worries I had since I first agreed to send you to Rakuzan. It really looks as though you can't belong there. I don't know why I didn't listen— no, I  _ignored_  my gut when those men first approached you." Regret was evident in his tone. "You're so unhappy, I don't want to see you continue this way anymore."  
  
"Oh, come on Dad, don't worry, I'm perfectly all right —"  
  
But he cut her off. "How would you like to transfer back to Seirin?"  
  
____  
  
The day of Rakuzan's matches was a clear, still one. The walls of the stadium seemed to simultaneously stretch and shrink with the sounds of cheers. The Rakuzan team had predictably beaten Senshinkan and were now facing Yosen for the semi-finals.  
  
In and out, Hayama breathed. The rough pace of it was all he heard. As if he were alone in a dark room, or submerged underwater, rather than standing in a brightly lit stadium. A few feet away from him, Mibuchi exchanged glances with Nebuya.  
  
"Kotarou-chan's playing very well, isn't he?" he said casually.  
  
Nebuya didn't miss the slight worry in Mibuchi's voice. He agreed, "He's throwing his all into the game." Then he added meaningfully, "It's almost like he's trying not to think about something else."  
  
Hayama suddenly stood up from where he was stretching his legs and went over to the pair. He thrusted a palm out at them. "Hey, pass me a ball. I wanna practise my dribbling."  
  
"Sure, Kotarou!" replied Nebuya, his grin too wide. He picked up a ball but before it was even halfway over to Hayama, the orange-haired boy stole it from his hands. Within seconds, the rapid-fire bounce of the ball that could only be from Hayama's signature dribble reached their ears.  
  
"Looking good, Kotarou-chan!" Mibuchi tried to say, but the encouragement remained unheard. The pair watched Hayama. It was like they were watching a wild animal, in preparation for ambush of a prey.  
  
"The dumbass is gonna tire himself out." Mayuzumi's monotonous voice said what they were both thinking. "He shouldn't be playing at hundred percent intensity all the time. Moron." Like a full stop, he finished his sentence with a scoff.  
  
"I'm sure Kotarou-chan understands that. Only he would know his body's limits, after all. Even more than we would," said Mibuchi. "Sometimes, though..." He trailed off.  
  
Nebuya nodded. "Emotion is closer to the body than the mind is." He left it at that. Mayuzumi glanced away, his eyebrows arranging themselves into a deeper frown.  
  
Soon, it was time for the match with Yosen. Akashi gathered them for a brief meeting.  
  
Into every player's eye, he glared. "Later during the game, Atsushi won't be playing," he stated. "And I won't be either. Chihiro, you'll be starting. But you have to play without misdirection. It would be ridiculous if you need the technique to defeat a weak team." He told another Rakuzan player to take his place, then imparted several more specific directions on the strategy against Yosen.  
  
Finally, he intoned, "I expect a victory."  
  
Mibuchi stopped darting glances at Hayama. Nebuya's eyes narrowed. Mayuzumi's fingers clenched into fists. Those four words were all they needed. Already, visions of the game became all they saw.  
  
The only player with no visible change in demeanour — was Hayama.  
  
____  
  
Days had passed since her conversation with her father, but Riko could still remember every part of it. Words had that effect of lingering unwantedly. Especially the ones that carried the weight of a crucial decision.  
  
 _How would you like to transfer back to Seirin?_  
  
A simple question which would have prompted a simple answer from her merely a few weeks ago. Had it only been four months since she arrived at Rakuzan? It had seemed longer. Then again, time stretched endlessly when one was suffering. It only sped up, cruelly, in the fleeting moments of a smile and an accidental laugh.  _Hayama-kun made me laugh unintentionally all the time,_  thought Riko.  
  
Logically, the choice was easy. She felt lonely because Hayama was no longer her friend. If she went back to Seirin, she'd have all her friends.  _Poof_! Loneliness, gone. Sure, she'd miss Mayuzumi — but she could always meet up to talk to him. She had no doubt they could maintain their bond. Their friendship was unshakeable. Not like with Hayama. It had always been volatile, with Hayama.  
  
 _You don't need Hayama-kun if you just go back to Seirin,_ Riko tried to tell herself.  _Seirin needed her._ She forced herself to think about their painful loss to Kirisaki Dai Ichi.  
  
The choice was so simple. It was so obvious. But something was stopping her from going back to the bliss she coveted so much. Something in the form of an orange-haired brat.  
  
The Rakuzan team had come back triumphant from their win in the semi-finals. Their place in the finals had always been secure, Riko knew. Each player had stepped off the bus with pride etched in their features. Then came the regulars.  
  
Akashi. Cool and calm, absolute certainty of victory on his handsome features. Mibuchi. He had offered her a cheerful smile the moment he saw her, and a thumbs up. Nebuya. He bumped her fist a little too hard. But the pain was worth it for the grin that split his face. Mayuzumi. A smirk, then a light brush of her fringe with his fingers. And, Hayama. He took one look at her, then winced.  
  
"Congratulations, Hayama-kun," Riko had ventured, her fingers twitching as they clasped in front of her. Hayama nodded once, then he slouched away from her. She wasn't sure if he heard her say, "Good luck for the finals." The back of his head was not as expressive as the front.  
  
If they'd been friends like normal, he probably would have grinned even wider than Nebuya. He probably would have jabbed both thumbs at himself, saying it was all thanks to  _him_ Rakuzan's victory was assured, even in the finals. He would have bounded at Riko like an overexcited puppy, and hugged her till her feet left the ground.  
  
She decided to tell him about the possibility of her transferring.  
  
That last part — he definitely would have done that.  
  
____  
  
  
"Hayama — wait up."  
  
Hayama stopped where he was walking back towards his dorms, and turned to face Mayuzumi. This was the last voice in the world he wanted to hear. It always made him want to punch something. Preferrably the face from where the voice came from. He grunted in greeting.  
  
Mayuzumi didn't look any happier. "What was with your performance during the Yosen match?"  
  
" _Huh?_ What're you talking about?"  
  
Mayuzumi released an impatient sound. "You know what I'm talking about."  
  
"No, I don't. Come on, I scored all the baskets in the final quarter. I single-handedly secured our victory against Yosen. Which is more than what  _you_ can say," Hayama muttered under his breath.  
  
"I couldn't have scored because you weren't passing the ball to me. I was open so many times, but still you chose to dribble past the opponents. At one point there were three defenders marking you."  
  
"So? I still got past them."  
  
"That was idiotic."  
  
Hayama took a step towards Mayuzumi. "What'd you say?"  
  
"You heard me. It was an idiotic move. You should've passed the ball to an open teammate. Everyone could see you were much more tired than all of us combined. What would have happened if we had gone into extra time? You would've been too tired to play. Then we would have lost a lot of our firepower. You would have 'single-handedly secured' our loss." Mayuzumi spoke the two words in a sneer.  
  
Hayama took another step forward and his hand grasped Mayuzumi's collar. "I'll pass the ball to you only when you  _deserve_ to get the ball." His voice was tight.  
  
"How typical, and entirely expected of you." Mayuzumi scoffed. "Just like an immature child, you're blaming others for your own stupid decisions."  
  
"You—"  
  
"Kotarou." Akashi's single word caused him to release Mayuzumi. "I need to speak with you," Akashi continued, his face hard.  
  
Mayuzumi glared at Hayama for a moment. Then, with narrowed eyes he glanced sideways at Akashi, and turned to leave. Akashi waited until Mayuzumi was no longer there.  
  
"Chihiro is right," he then began. "Your behaviour during the Yosen match was unacceptably reckless. I understand if you have dedication and focus to win. Every player at Rakuzan needs this determination. It's why you are in the team to begin with. But when it causes you to ignore logic, it becomes mere idiocy. Kotarou."  
  
Hayama looked up from the floor.  
  
"If you continue with this idiocy, you may be expelled. I don't need such players on my team. Is that clear?"  
  
"Yes, Akashi."  
  
"I expect you to pass to anyone who is open, including Chihiro. I expect you to reserve your energy and not spend it all. I expect you to act with your head, not with your emotion. Is that clear?"  
  
Hayama nodded. "Yes."  
  
"Good."  
  
Hayama nodded at Akashi again as farewell, then continued his way to the dorms. As he walked, slow as a ball which had lost its bounce, he didn't realise that his captain had missed out asking him one question on purpose. A specific question on his emotional stability. And he didn't realise that the inklings of self-doubt, of all things, was starting to trickle through Akashi.  
  
When Hayama finally reached the door to his room, he saw an unexpected guest next to it. Riko, sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest.  
  
The moment she saw Hayama, she smiled. "Hi Hayama-kun."  
  
____  
  
Riko couldn't help a smile. The smile had come naturally. Hayama had looked utterly dejected. She remembered many times Hayama's own grin had inspired many of her own. She wanted to do the same, for him.  
  
His eyes widened at the sight of her. "Riko?! What— " He fumbled for a bit and the keys in his hand fell to the ground. Both of them kneeled down to reach for it.  
  
Stooping down, Riko looked up once Hayama was at her eye level. "Can we talk?" she said.  
  
His face was only a few inches away, so she could see every change in his expression. "Uh...sure." He glanced around him awkwardly, then gestured at the floor. "Have a seat," he said.  
  
Riko stared at him.  
  
He sighed. "My room's really messy. There are no empty chairs in there even if I let you in."  
  
"Oh." Riko sat on the floor again, and Hayama moved in next to her. She felt his knee brushing against her thigh. Then it remained there, touching her. The memory of him cheering her up under the tree came back to her, that time her lowest point in Rakuzan when she had missed Seirin deeply. He had lifted the pain so easily.  
  
Taking a breath, she said, "Hayama-kun, how were the matches?"  
  
A shrug. "Fine." He paused to scratch his head. "I shot the most baskets."  
  
"Of course! I wouldn't expect anything less."  
  
Silence.  
  
Hayama's knee fidgeted against her thigh. He cleared his throat, and ran his fingers through his hair. "So anyway, I'm sure you can get the details from Mayuzumi later, I kinda need to go—"  
  
"I spoke to my father the other day," Riko said in a rush. Anything so that they could keep talking. "We had a really good discussion about...everything that's happened. And then he told me something. Something big." If they couldn't hang out like they used to, she would throw down the gauntlet. She would ask him if she should transfer back to Seirin. Perhaps this big risk could repair their friendship. His reaction to her father's offer was the decisive factor.  
  
A no to the transfer would mean he just needed time. She would give it to him. She needed time herself, to accept their differences. And then they could begin a new relationship.  
  
A yes, however — it would mean he had given up. It would mean their relationship before could not have withstood such profound divisiveness. "Irreconcilable differences", was the Hollywood term for it.  
  
Riko drew another breath, then she took the plunge. "Hayama-kun, he told me I could transfer back to Seirin if I wanted to. What do you think?"


End file.
